The Volkswagen Thing is an intriguing combination of parts, with a chassis designed to handle light off-road duties owing to its military origins in the Type 181 model. Unlike that vehicle, however, the Thing was clearly intended to be a fair weather runabout, as it is almost never entirely water-tight and its humble engine means highway cruising will be limited at best. The Thing shown here on eBay is an unrestored car, and while it’s not quite a survivor, it looks decent for an example that hasn’t been nut-and-bolt restored. The seller is asking $19,900 or best offer.
If you’ve ever seen one of these in person, it’s hard not to smile. They just exude cheeriness, and since it has a bit of brawny owing to its military history, it has a helpful dose of utility as well. The various body flares alongside the engine compartment and over the rear fenders also help give it some muscle, but the overall reaction to a Thing will be one of joy, not fear. Most owners report making friends easily once they become Thing owners, so be aware lots of people may come over to talk to you. They may also stop by to steal any valuables out of the easily-accessed interior, so be sure to remove valuables when parked.
The interior sports a sharp creamsicle upholstery job, and it matches the soft top canopy. The exceedingly basic interior is downright charming in its simplicity, and you won’t mind jumping in while still wearing a wet bathing suit. If you feel like you’re not close enough to the action sitting here, you’ll want to fold down the windshield for a true bugs-in-your-teeth experience, and since you won’t be going very fast with just 46 horsepower behind you, I doubt you’ll need any mouth protection from fast moving projectiles. The Thing really is best suited for in-town cruising, especially if you live near the beach or other coastal areas. Of course, if you do live in such a place, your life is already pretty good and a Thing would likely accentuate it nicely.
As you can see, the paint is either original or old enough to be original. There’s plenty of signs of weathering, and a rust spot at the bottom of the rear rocker panel. All of this is OK, as it’s not a complex body to restore. The seller doesn’t provide any information about its mechanical history, but the simplicity of the Thing is one of its key selling points, so any mechanical faults will likely be easy to remedy. The price is likely a bit high for anyone seriously in the market, as this is a limited use vehicle at best – but original Things are hard to come by. Is this one worth $20,000, even with visible rot? Thanks to Barn Finds reader Russell J. Glantz for the find.
I feel it’s my duty to bolster any VW post after my origin comments got the blood all angried up, forgiveness, please, I really, really like VWs, in fact, I’ve decided I want one, just not this. Hollywood absolutely LOVED the Thing. It’s odd styling met the needs of many a quirky Hollywood hack. On the ICMb site, the Thing has 5 pages of appearances. Patty and Selma drove a Thing, and I think Comic Book Guy did too. Never saw many in Beer City, like dune buggies, just the wrong area, but in the sun, you can’t go wrong here.
Drove one as our shop car for a year. Customers insisted on being driven to homes or offices in it. Good fun and would cruise at 55 all day.
This Thing looks very scruffy for the price. Needs a full inside/outside repaint and rust repair work. The high back Beetle seats look out of place here as well. It does have the top frame and running boards from an Acapulco, but I believe those only came in blue and white.
If you look at the sellers other listings, which is 58 vehicles, you will see a few that have been here on BF’s. And the sellers feedback is only (4).