1973 Model Year Volkswagen Thing 181
The Volkswagen Beetle was not just the “people's car” but was a symbol of peace, love, and good times, The Beetle’s platform was used to launch many exciting cars but very few matched up to the Volkswagen 181 Thing. The Volkswagen 181 or better known as the “thing” over in the US was Volkswagen’s attempt to recreate the legendary dune bug of the 60s. With an open-top design driving, one meant total freedom and standing out from the crowd in the quirkiest way possible. Looking to spice up your weekend drive and experience open-top driving like never before? This 1973 Volkswagen 181 Thing is what you are looking for. With a reported 73,000 miles on the clock, this classic Volkswagen is reportedly up for sale by its third owner.
The Volkswagen Thing was a mishmash of multiple cars from the Volkswagen lineup. While the design was unique, the floor pans were borrowed from the legendary Karman Ghia; the design allowed for all four doors to be removable, the windshield to fold flat and the convertible roof to be removed so that you and your passengers could experience a unique driving experience. This 1973 Volkswagen Thing is finished off with a yellow exterior and sports a black “the thing” sticker running on the side of the car. The body and paint are in great condition with the Seller reporting the car have been repainted at some point. The convertible roof is finished off in black and in terms of shoes, this classic Volkswagen sports its factory wheels and hubcaps. The barebone interior on this 1973 Volkswagen Thing sports a black and yellow theme and shares features like the Wolfsburg steering wheel and meter cluster from the Volkswagen Beetle. The interior is all factory with the exception of an aftermarket JVC sound system providing tunes.
Scoot over to the back and pop the hood and you will find the legendary Volkswagen air-cooled engine in this 1973 Volkswagen Thing. The 4-cylinder air-cooled powertrain on this car sports a twin carburetor set up for added power. The rear-engined setup sends power to the car's rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission.
Officially called the Volkswagen Type 181, the Thing as it became known in the United States is a two-wheel drive, four-door convertible curio that Volkswagen made between 1968 and 1983, for civilian, as well as military use. Sharing many components with the Beetle, Microbus and Karmann Ghia, the Thing was also called the Trekker in the United Kingdom and the Safari in Mexico and South America. Over 90,000 were made, and we’ve got a 1974 Volkswagen Thing for sale today from Shandaken, New York. With under 46,000 miles on the clock, this Thing has been repainted and has a reupholstered interior as well. It’s the perfect fun vehicle to drive around on the weekends!
The Volkswagen we know today follows the same recipe of solid, workmanlike performance and reliability, and sometimes a bit too ordinary. Turn back the clock 40 odd years, however; this couldn't be farther from the truth of today; creations like the dune buggy and the "thing" gave car buyers quirky and colorful choices of motoring that would never see the light of day in modern times. The vehicle we have today is a mix of the custom restomod and features a blend of Volkswagen's quirky dune buggy and unique 181 and comes in the form of this 1973 Volkswagen Thing Restomod. With a reported 20,000 miles, this unique creation was completed last month and is reported to be a Californian street-legal car, albeit modified for off-road driving.
The Volkswagen Beetle was not just the “people's car” but was a symbol of peace, love, and good times, The Beetle’s platform was used to launch many exciting cars but very few matched up to the Volkswagen 181 Thing. The Volkswagen 181 or better known as the “thing” over in the US was Volkswagen’s attempt to recreate the legendary dune bug of the 60s. With an open-top design driving, one meant total freedom and standing out from the crowd in the quirkiest way possible. Looking to spice up your weekend drive and experience open-top driving like never before? This 1973 Volkswagen 181 Thing is what you are looking for. With a reported 73,000 miles on the clock, this classic Volkswagen is reportedly up for sale by its third owner.
The Volkswagen Beetle is one of those machines whose production numbers are not in the thousands but in the 6-digit range. While it has a long production run across multiple formats, finding a clean example has become more challenging. With clean examples tucked away in collections and most falling prey to age and the aftermarket scene, finding a clean, factory example is a dream for many who want to explore the world of classic Volkswagen charm. Present today is now considered a rare bird and looks like this 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. This clean example is reported to have just 135,000 miles on it over its 50+ year life. Better yet, this machine is also reported to have been garaged or under a carport its entire life to maintain its clean looks. The fun doesn't stop there for those seeking originality; the machines' maintenance is also reported to preserve their original specifications. Included in the sale are a tow bar and lights connector in excellent condition, along with the original owner's manual.
Considered by many to be the best classic car for anyone looking to get into classic cars, the Volkswagen Beetle is a symbol of mobility across the world. Between 1938 and 2003, this happy-faced, bug-eyed machine with its friendly purring air-cooled engine helped countless families get about their daily errands with ease. Over 21 million Beetles were made in total, and when the original finally bowed out of production, many tears were shed. Today, why not celebrate that glorious legacy with this 1968 Volkswagen Beetle from Trinity, Florida? The vehicle has 30,606 miles recorded on the odometer, and looks just as good as it left the showroom floor in 1968.
A car that’s universally loved, the Volkswagen Beetle is the vehicle of a mobility revolution – literally. Made from 1938 until 2003 in multiple countries, over 21 million examples left factories during that time. The Beetle has been updated and tweaked hundreds of times during that lifespan, but it always retained its friendly face, bug-eyed headlamps and air-cooled engine purring away in its tail. Now, a Beetle makes for a fine starter classic car because it’s so easy to drive as well as maintain. With that in mind, we’ve got a 1961 Volkswagen Beetle for sale from Huntington Beach, California. The vehicle has got 62,807 miles on it and features a 1.2-liter air-cooled flat-four engine. With its rear-wheel drive layout and four-speed manual transmission, this is definitely a car that loves long drives!
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