Vehicle Description
1974 Volkswagen Thing (Type 181) -1600cc 4 Cylinder -4 Speed Manual
Transmission -57k Miles -Red Over Black Interior -Brand New
Interior and Top (Please note: If you happen to be viewing this
1974 VW Thing (Type 181) on a site other thanGarageKeptMotors.com,
it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of
this vehicle due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you
access all the more than 105 photographs, including a short
walk-around-and-startup video, please go to our main website:
GarageKeptMotors.) 'The Volkswagen Thing is weird, fun, and
affordable as ever �€" Hagerty, November 2018 Back in the day,
Volkswagen advertising asked the obvious question What's a Thing?
The answer: It's the anything car that'll take anybody anywhere. A
joy all week, a joyride all weekend. It's tough enough to stand up
to the elements (an all-steel body that's tough as a turtle's) as
well as the oil companies (a tight-fisted engine that gets about 21
mpg). The people at Hagerty provided a more detailed explanation of
the Thing's origins: The Type 181 was born in 1969 when the West
German military revisited the boxy, open-top theme last seen in the
World War II-era Type 82 Kübelwagen. Using the Beetle Type 1
driveline and Transporter Type 2 suspension, the Type 181 formula
proved sound. In all, nearly 91,000 were built worldwide, with
28,930 brought to the U.S. from Mexico for just two years, 1973 and
74. The red-over-black '74 Thing offered here is a driver-quality
vehicle with just over 57,000 miles. Originally yellow, it wears a
full repaint (exterior/interior/engine bay/trunk) , a front brush
guard, new black convertible top, and newly reupholstered seats.
VW-branded hubcaps and white-letter Kelly Charger tires add a
freshened look, as do black-painted bumpers and side air intakes.
The well-padded roll cage adds physical protection for occupants.
Spartan interior appointments are part of the appeal of these fun
vehicles. The speedometer and 4-speed manual transmission
floor-mounted shifter are original, while a recent-vintage audio
unit is mounted in front of the passenger, on the lower dash.
Carpeted door inserts add a measure of sound-proofing to the
standard bare-metal surface. The overall condition of the vehicle
is appropriate for its mileage and age. The front trunk and the
engine bay are clean and tidy. The undercarriage displays
widespread surface ruston untreated metalconsistent with normal
use. There is no evidence of damage from off-road driving, or any
other signs of abuse. (To fully assess the vehicle, be sure to look
closely at the more than 105 high-definition photographs-including
of the undercarriage-are available at the GarageKeptMotors site, as
is a short walk-around-and-startup video.) This '74 Thing is ready
for a host of outdoor-driving fun, from beach duty, to parade duty,
to VW-owner gatherings, to autumn-color tours. We welcome in-person
visits to our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom to see the Thing up
close and sample its charms. Since our showroom is not open to the
public, we ask that you call or email us in advance to arrange an
appointment so that we can devote our full attention to you. In the
same spirit, feel free to contact us directly with any questions.
The Hagerty writers concluded their review of the VW Type 181 this
way: The Thing's thing, true now as it was in the 1970s, is that
it's a mechanically simple oddball with a unique personality.
You're guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows when you roll by in a
Thing, and most examples are regularly used enough that owners
don't mind a shoeful of beach sand in the footwell.
