VW Volkswagen Spotters Guide

VW V-Dubs Volkswagen Spotters Guide

Also, check out our "in progress" RAT ROD BEETLE Page.

Classic Volkswagen Spotters Guide

Type I

Beetle

Type 1 machines are dominted by the ever-lovin' beetle, with the "upright engine", horizontally opposed four cylinder air-cooled engine. The Beetle is the most popular car ever built, with some 21 million produced from between 1946 and 2003 (with only minor changes to engine and body style during that time).

Karman-Ghia

Certainly the most desirable of all Classic Volkswagens, the Ghia is VW's "sportscar", and the convertibles are rare and expensive. It looks like a Porsche, drives like a Volkswagen! If you spot one for sale, it'll likely be going for way too much money, even in rough shape.

The "Thing"

Less commonly known as the Type 181, the Thing is also based on the WWII "jeep" made by Volkswagen for the German Army. Known as the Kublewagen, the vehicle was so revolutionary that it scared the American Military into the development of the vehicle that became the ever lovin' Jeep.

Type II

Rear Example Photo Transporter

The Type II Transporter or known more commonly as the VW Bus is really the the world's first 'minivan' with an incredible interior layout at seems to provide more interior room than is visible from the exterior.

Type III

Fastback

All the Type III's are cool, and the fastback is cool because it looks sporty. With the right set of wheels, the car can look really slick. However, the smoothly sloped rear end isn't terribly space efficient, despite the longer wheelbase, it's really just a streched Beetle. However, it still makes a really nice car.

Notchback

All the Type III's are cool, and the Notchback may be the coolest of them all. It's one of the few classic Volkswagens that still looks like a modern car. Just strip off the chrome, and paint it a single color, and you'd be hard pressed to tell that it's not a current manufacture sedan. Even more amazing is that it can also look like the older BMW cars. With the right wheels, this car can look phat!

Squareback

Where's the engine? It's not in the front, and from the station-wagon appearance, it's not in the back either! The Squareback is a cool car because it's so utilitarian -- for a small car you have incredible storage space. Shoving the "pancake" engine under the rear cargo deck makes for some potential overheating though. If restoring one, consider an additional oil-cooler.

Type IV

411 and 412

The Type IV comes in two flavors and two models, the Sedan and the Wagon. Proof that wheels make the car, once you add some stylin' rims to a 412 sedan, the damn thing looks like an Audi! Despite the long nose on the car, an air-cooled engine is in the rear, check out this detail picture.

Both models were plagued with reliability problems, so the car never sold that well. It was the death-sentence for the rear-engined aircooled VW. After this came the watercooled, front-engined Golf (in the US it was the Rabbit).

However, I like these cars as they represent the high-tech point of the air-cooled.

Classic Volkswagen Spotters Guide
Type I
		Beetle Type 1 machines are dominted by the ever-lovin' beetle, with the "upright engine", horizontally opposed four cylinder air-cooled engine. The Beetle is the most popular car ever built, with some 21 million produced from between 1946 and 2003 (with only minor changes to engine and body style during that time).
		Karman-Ghia Certainly the most desirable of all Classic Volkswagens, the Ghia is VW's "sportscar", and the convertibles are rare and expensive. It looks like a Porsche, drives like a Volkswagen! If you spot one for sale, it'll likely be going for way too much money, even in rough shape.
		The "Thing" Less commonly known as the Type 181, the Thing is also based on the WWII "jeep" made by Volkswagen for the German Army. Known as the Kublewagen, the vehicle was so revolutionary that it scared the American Military into the development of the vehicle that became the ever lovin' Jeep.
Type II
	Rear Example Photo	Transporter The Type II Transporter or known more commonly as the VW Bus is really the the world's first 'minivan' with an incredible interior layout at seems to provide more interior room than is visible from the exterior.
Type III
		Fastback All the Type III's are cool, and the fastback is cool because it looks sporty. With the right set of wheels, the car can look really slick. However, the smoothly sloped rear end isn't terribly space efficient, despite the longer wheelbase, it's really just a streched Beetle. However, it still makes a really nice car.
		Notchback All the Type III's are cool, and the Notchback may be the coolest of them all. It's one of the few classic Volkswagens that still looks like a modern car. Just strip off the chrome, and paint it a single color, and you'd be hard pressed to tell that it's not a current manufacture sedan. Even more amazing is that it can also look like the older BMW cars. With the right wheels, this car can look phat!
		Squareback Where's the engine? It's not in the front, and from the station-wagon appearance, it's not in the back either! The Squareback is a cool car because it's so utilitarian -- for a small car you have incredible storage space. Shoving the "pancake" engine under the rear cargo deck makes for some potential overheating though. If restoring one, consider an additional oil-cooler.
Type IV
		411 and 412 The Type IV comes in two flavors and two models, the Sedan and the Wagon. Proof that wheels make the car, once you add some stylin' rims to a 412 sedan, the damn thing looks like an Audi! Despite the long nose on the car, an air-cooled engine is in the rear, check out this detail picture. Both models were plagued with reliability problems, so the car never sold that well. It was the death-sentence for the rear-engined aircooled VW. After this came the watercooled, front-engined Golf (in the US it was the Rabbit). However, I like these cars as they represent the high-tech point of the air-cooled.