VW Type 181 (1968 - 1983)

History of the Volkswagen Type 181

Introduction

The VW Type 181 goes by a number of names around the world, including Trekker in the UK, and Thing in the USA.
It was originally created as a military vehicle for the German army in the late ‘60s, but was also sold to the public, amassing quite a following among VW enthusiasts.

A bit of a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ the Type 181 made use of the widened Ghia floorpan (which was itself based on the Beetle pan), Beetle mechanics and a modified Kübelwagen style design.

Built by VW from 1968 to 1983 in Germany, Mexico and Indonesia, it was made available to civilians in Europe and Mexico in ’71; in America in ’72 and was also available in the UK for a short time, but was soon dropped as it failed to meet sales targets.

Despite being something of a flop in Britain, it sold well everywhere else as people had been asking for a fun, simple vehicle which was more durable and easier to drive off-road than the Beetle, and the popularity of beach buggies and Baja conversions lead VW to believe that there was indeed a gap in the market for such a vehicle.

The floor pan of the Type 181 is the same as that of the Karmann Ghia, which is a modified, widened version of the Beetle floorpan, and also features the Beetles rear mounted flat-4 engine. Early models made use of the rear swing axel suspension from the then discontinued Splitscreen, while later models produced after 1973 had the same semi-trailing arm set up used in the 1303 and US-spec Beetles with Porsche double-jointed axels.

All Type 181 bodies are four door cabriolets, are left hand drive. The Type 182 is the same but a somewhat rarer right hand drive version.

The VW Trekker, also known as the VW Thing or VW Type 181, is a unique vehicle with an interesting history. Let's dive into its story. 

The development of the VW Trekker can be traced back to the 1960s when the German automaker Volkswagen was looking to expand its product lineup. The idea was to create a rugged, go-anywhere vehicle that could serve both civilian and military purposes. This new vehicle was based on the chassis and mechanical components of the popular Volkswagen Beetle.

In 1968, Volkswagen introduced the Type 181 as a successor to the Type 82 Kübelwagen, a military vehicle used by the German army during World War II. The Type 181 featured a distinctive boxy design with flat panels and a folding soft top. It had a robust construction and was built to handle challenging terrains.

The VW Trekker/Thing had a simple and utilitarian interior, featuring durable materials that could withstand outdoor activities. It was designed as an off-road vehicle, capable of traversing sandy beaches, muddy trails, and rocky terrain. The vehicle had a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, with a four-cylinder air-cooled engine borrowed from the Beetle. It offered decent ground clearance and a sturdy suspension system to tackle rough conditions.