A Thing for AnyThing and EveryThing
All cars have a name but this one has many names.
In America, it is simply the Thing. In Germany, it was the Kurierwagen. The British called it the Trekker, Italians knew it as the Pescaccia, Indonesians as the Camat, and in Mexico it became the Safari.
Whatever you call it, the 1973 Volkswagen Type 181 is one of those wonderfully quirky vehicles that refuses to fit neatly into any category. Part automobile, part utility vehicle and all just plain fun, the Thing was designed to go where ordinary cars preferred not to.
And this one is ready to do exactly that.
Finished in red with an off-white vinyl interior, this left-hand-drive Thing is powered by a crate 1.6-liter replacement engine backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. Its removable doors and folding windshield make it particularly easy to enjoy when the weather cooperates—or simply when you feel like driving something that makes people smile.
The tan convertible top has experienced a little mouse activity along the way, so it is not perfect, but somehow that seems fitting for a vehicle that has spent its life being more interested in adventure than appearances.
On the road, it is a conversation starter. Off the road, its origins as a military and utility vehicle come into focus Sand, snow, dirt trails, beach roads—or just a trip to the local Cars & Coffee—the Thing is ready for almost anything.
So, is it a Thing of beauty or a beast?
Maybe a little of both.
More accurately, it is simply a Thing for anyThing—and quite possibly one of the most entertaining vehicles you can own for the money.
1973 Volkswagen Type 181 Thing — $19,900
Click the link to take the Thing for a drive. You may find yourself wondering how you ever got along without one.
