1973-74 Volkswagen Type 181 Thing

by B. Mitchell Carlson

Styling by Dumpster.

After the success of the Volkswagen Beetle in the 1960s, VW resurrected the idea of an on- and off-road car, and called it the Type 181 “Thing.” Inspired by the WWII Type 82 Kübelwagen, the Thing was updated with the Beetle baseline engine and running gear, but with the beefier Transporter/Microbus suspension. Also along the lines of the Kübelwagen was its Dumpsteresque—yet practical—styling. The simple doors and standard soft top could easily be removed, and the windshield folded flat. The rear-engined, rear-wheel drive car was rugged, and well-suited for unimproved roads. First built in 1969, the Thing wasn’t offered in the US until 1973. Power was the standard Beetle 1584-cc air-cooled flat four-cylinder engine, with 46 chirping horsepower, coupled to a four-speed manual transmission. In its initial year in the US, exterior colors available were Blizzard White, Sunshine Yellow and Pumpkin Orange. In 1974, the Thing got a slight boost in power to 55 bhp...