Vehicle Description
You've definitely seen Volkswagen's Type 1 (Beetle) and Type 2
(Bus) production cars, but what about the much rarer Type 3? No one
would blame you if you never have, as we didn't get too many of
them Stateside, and it's a shame, because look how cool this little
car is. With an uber-reliable, air-cooled flat-4 that runs great
and an interior that shines up like new, this little wagon is the
flower-child you wished you already knew about.
The quirky model that you see before you was marketed as a
"Squareback" in the US market ("Variant" everywhere else), and in
our opinion, it was the coolest of the three body styles offered
for the Type 3. Exported from Germany to compete against the
Chevrolet Corvair, the basic fundamentals of this car are shared
with the Beetle: rear-engined and body-on-chassis construction
(body bolts onto a frame that includes a floor pan). But VW knew
Americans wanted more space, so they stretched the dimensions to
add for more rear seating space and a rear cargo area that's quite
spacious in the Squareback. From all that design came this unique
two-door, and we can certainly understand its sudden cult-like
following because the look is irresistible. The color of this Type
3 was changed from red to matte gray at some point, and to put it
frankly, the execution should've been much better. Glistening it is
not as it shows flaws in many places, needs to be jammed, and the
red is trying it's hardest to pop back through again. But it sort
of just feels right on this little wagon and looks unique enough to
tempt the next owner to leave it as-is, but if not, there's not a
lot of sheetmetal to cover for a quality respray.
Contrarily, the interior is fresh and dialed-in, featuring black
vinyl buckets up front and a matching rear bench that makes this
Squareback a legitimate 4-seater, and some would even argue (we in
the US probably wouldn't) that's it's really a 5-seater. The
vinyl-padded dash was all new for this model as well, featuring a
3-coned gauge cluster and centralized knob controls. This wagon
comes with an under-dash A/C unit, although the air is only blowing
cool and a new compressor comes with the sale. Black door panels
match the seats nicely, and the carpets are firm yet sophisticated,
allowing for both good looks and heavy traffic. These early
Squarebacks offered two storage areas, a smaller one up front that
holds the spare tire and jack kit, and of course the back-hatch
area that provides plenty of room for all the gear you need on any
long road trip.
Nestled underneath the back cargo area is the "underfloor" 1600CC
flat-four cylinder engine that made VW a legend. Signs of recent
maintenance are throughout, and the motor snaps to attention and
runs superbly. The 1600CC "suitcase" was never a barn-burner, but
it was always peppy and an absolute blast to drive, and even with
the added weight of the Type 3, power is delivered quickly. The
clutch feels easy and 4-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly,
providing all the fun that drivers have come to expect out of a
manual-shift VW. The undercarriage is not detailed for show, but
very solid, evidence of a low-ownership classic that has truly been
babied most of its life. Front disc brakes bring the Squareback to
an abrupt stop, and the whole look is finished off fittingly by
Minilite-style gold wheels from EMPI wrapped in 185/65/15 blackwall
radials.
Loaded with maintenance receipts and dealer records dating back to
the mid '70s, this beauty was with it's original owner up until
1999. Always cared for, always fun, this Squareback is a great
example of a collector car on the rise. Call today!