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A WONDERFUL ORIGINAL CONDITION SURVIVOR

The Volkswagen Type 181 “The Thing” was an updated version of the German military’s Type 82 Kubelwagen. Rather than using the Type 82’s mechanical setup, however, the Thing rode on a combination of a Beetle drivetrain and a Type II Transporter suspension. Like the rest of the VW lineup, the Type 181 placed the air-cooled, 1584-cc engine in the rear and used the motor’s 46 hp to drive the rear wheels.

While the Beetle had charm, the Thing was much more utilitarian. Nary a curve on the car, it had a removable top, a folding windshield, and hose-it-out practicality. While it would never be confused for a Jeep, Land Rover, or Land Cruiser on the trail, it could manage to stray off the pavement, and was particularly fun on the beach.

This is a great chance to get a true survivor. Very good/excellent originals are hard to find. You can always get a restored example, but you can't create another unmolested example like this one. It has no needs. This is as close to a new 1973 VW Thing that you will find.

Conditions:

Body /paint (paint 97% factory original) in very good to excellent condition, with no history of accidents or damage.

Chrome/bright work are in excellent condition.

Weatherstripping/rubber parts are in very good condition.

Wheels/tires are in very good to excellent condition ( tires are in new condition)

Top/side curtains/boot are in very good condition with no problem areas.

Glass/windshield is in very good condition with no cracks or chips.

Wheel wells/suspension are in very good original condition ( see pics)

Engine/engine compartment are in very good condition, nicely detailed.

Trunk area is in very good condition (jack, tools, spare)

Undercarriage is in very good original condition, with only slight surface corrosion (no repairs to floors have ever been needed, (see pics)

Interior: seats are in very good original condition, dash/gauges/steering wheel in excellent condition, new wood floors & wicker tray under dash, over all interior condition is in very good to excellent condition.

The Thing runs and drives like new. It has no issues and is ready to drive and enjoy.

The Thing is being sold 'as is', with no warranties. Please go over the description and photos well, to get a good feel of this VW before you place a bid. I have many more photos of the car, plus a folder of invoices, booklets and window sticker to show its history. Please feel free to call if you would like to go over any details. 419-618-3855 Chuck
The car is bring offered on other sites and locally. We reserve the right to end the auction before it conclusion.

On Jul-25-14 at 17:21:44 PDT, seller added the following information:

We have lowered the reserve price considerably. 7-25-14

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Auto blog

VW confirms Golf GTD diesel coming to US for 2016

Wed, 03 Jul 2013

Part of the Volkswagen Golf recipe that has helped the car sell more than 30 million units in just under 40 years is the number of variants in which the hatchback is offered. Building on that range here in the US, Automotive News is reporting that we will finally be getting the sporty Golf GTD, likely as a 2016 model. It's the GTD, you'll recall, that crosses the performance abilities of the venerable GTI with a powerful and fuel-efficient diesel engine.
After speaking with Andreas Valbuena, Volkswagen product manager for the Golf, AN not only says that the GTD will for sale in the US in a couple years, it also estimates a baseline price of around $27,000, which would place it between the current pricing for the GTI and the Golf R. The GTD is launching in Europe this summer, but we won't be getting the seventh-generation Golf in the US for another year. The news about the performance diesel model isn't entirely unexpected - VW officials have been hinting at it for at least a year now, going so far as to import a sixth-generation model for media test drives on US soil, a task we happily took them up on last year.
The Mk VII GTD uses VW's 2.0-liter TDI engine with output increased to 184 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, allowing the car to sprint to 60 miles per hour in about seven seconds while returning more than 40 mpg in highway driving. We can't wait.

Automakers score 8 out of top 20 most-watched ads on YouTube [w/videos]

Fri, 14 Dec 2012

Who would have ever thought there'd be a day where people are able to skip television commercials only to go to websites to watch them later? Such is the joy of a DVR and YouTube. AdWeek tabulated the 20 most-watched ads on YouTube, and found that nine were car-related including eight coming from automakers.
Volkswagen continued its Star Wars theme with two ads in the top 20, including the highest-ranking car commercial The Bark Side spot at number three with almost 18 million views, which doesn't even have a single car in it. Some of our favorites are from Chrysler with Clint Eastwood in It's Halftime in America and House Arrest with Charlie Sheen for the Fiat 500 Abarth. Chevrolet, Honda, Audi and Toyota were the other automakers in the top 20, but we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention one of the coolest ads on the list, the Hot Wheels corkscrew jump.
Of all the car videos, only the Fiat ad wasn't played during a Super Bowl. Check out all eight videos - in order - after the jump. Nike took the top spot with its My Time is Now ad that has been seen online more than 20 million times with Pepsi's Uncle Drew posted up in the runner-up; some of the other videos include four Old Spice commercials and an ad in which Snoop Dogg is pedaling Hot Pockets.

2014 Volkswagen Golf GTD is our favorite oil-burning GTI

Tue, 05 Mar 2013

The 2014 Volkswagen Golf GTD has officially bowed at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Engineers managed to squeeze an additional 14 horsepower and 22 pound-feet of torque out of the familiar 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine, nudging total output to 184 hp and 280 lb-ft for 2014. The figures are good enough to earn the GTD the honor of being the most powerful diesel Golf in Volkswagen history. A start/stop system helps improve efficiency over the previous generation with the new model consuming 56 miles per gallon on the EU cycle. That's up from the 2013 model's 46 mpg. A six-speed manual transmission is standard equipment, though a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox is also available.
The GTD also offers buyers a few aesthetic tweaks to help separate the hatch from its less potent siblings. Those include a more aggressive front fascia, special badges and 17-inch alloy wheels. Expect to find the GTD in one of three exterior colors, including Tornado Red, Black and Pure White. Check out the quick press release below for more details.

Wonderfully Original, No Rust Ever, Low Miles, Runs & Drives Like New, No Needs on 2040-cars

Volkswagen Thing for Sale