The VW Thing or Type 181 was originally developed in the 1960s for use by the West German military, but also found its way into civilian consumption in the 1970s. Dubbed the “Thing” for the U.S. market, about 25,000 of them were sold before enhanced DOT safety standards made the car no longer importable. The seller has a trio of these things that might be best described as one restorable project and two parts cars. Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, this package deal is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $7,900. Thanks for the tip, “Zappenduster”.
Unlike other Jeep-type vehicles, the 181 had 2-wheel drive and four doors. It was in production from 1968 to 1983, though the civilian iterations were discontinued in 1980. The Thing, as it was called, was only offered in the United States and Canada for two years, 1973 and 1974. Its construction borrowed from the VW Beetle, Microbus, and Karmann Ghia, and was conceptually similar to its WW2 predecessor. You could take things off and on, such as the doors, convertible top, and windshield.
The Thing is somewhat iconic today in VW circles. A friend of mine had one and he customized it considerably, including lowering it at all four points. They used regular Beetle engines and transmissions, so mechanical components aren’t hard to come by. The seller has accumulated three of them, and two of them may have already been picked over to service the better one.
In the best condition is the 1974 edition, which we’re told is complete, the motor turns (by hand), rust is minimal, and the body has been sandblasted. Add to that an orange 1973 “builder” which has some rebuilt mechanical bits, but rust is plentiful, including the floor pans. Finally, the third ’73 looks to have been stripped, and it has no title, but perhaps the shell would be of some value. Take all three homes, though you might talk the seller into selling the cars separately.
Had a ’74 and loved it. Did put a roll cage in it and used it for everything including a parts runner for the business. This trio should make one good Thing.
This vehicle, apparently, had many names. The Trekker( UK), the Safari (Mexico), the Pescaccia( Italy), the Camat( Indonesia), and of course, Kurierwagen( Germany), and what does America get? Duh, how about da’ Thing? It’s okay, the “Thing” had little impact on US car sales, too far out there for most. Just a silly vehicle for those that had too much money, I read the Thing cost about $3145 new, about $600 more than a Bug ($2625) and offered nothing in the line of comforts. A glorified dune buggy, we in Beer City had no use for anyway.
Today, there is a large cult following for these( that figures), and a great find for someone into these.
These always are a hit near the beach, several restored ones live here. The engines seem more open to cooling air than the Beetle. I would be tempted to make one out of three with a 2.3 l engine.