VW Thing 1974

A SOLDIER OUT OF UNIFORM

A stopgap military project gave birth to the quirky vehicle that remains an icon of leisure and freedom more than half a century later

A vehicle born out of improvisation—quite literally created to fill a gap. It was such a temporary solution that it did not even have a proper name. That is perhaps the best way to describe the VW Type 181, the utility vehicle originally conceived for military service but which ultimately found success in civilian life and continues to enjoy a devoted following around the world.

To understand its origins, it is necessary to return to the 1960s. At the time, the German armed forces were searching for a replacement for the DKW Munga, which had served as the military's light utility vehicle since 1956. The situation became even more urgent in 1968, when production of the Munga came to an end.

Volkswagen, having absorbed DKW several years earlier, was tasked with developing a new military vehicle that would eventually become the four-wheel-drive Type 183 Iltis. However, the project would take years to complete, with its official launch not occurring until November 1978.

A quick solution was needed—one that was temporary, affordable, and capable of utilizing as many existing Beetle-derived components as possible.

The answer was hiding within Volkswagen's own archives in Wolfsburg.

There, company engineers rediscovered the tooling and technical heritage of the Type 82 Kübelwagen. More than merely serving as visual inspiration, the wartime vehicle guided many aspects of the new model's development. Within a matter of months, sixteen prototypes left the factory for field testing.

Known internally only as the Type 181—or Type 182 in right-hand-drive form—the utility vehicle entered series production in August 1969 as a 1970 model.

Robust, simple, and surprisingly capable on rough terrain, the new model was essentially a modernized interpretation of the Kübelwagen from three decades earlier. Those qualities quickly attracted the attention of military organizations beyond Germany.

In addition to the German Army, where soldiers nicknamed it the Kurierwagen ("courier vehicle"), the Type 181 was purchased by the armed forces of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Switzerland.

What Volkswagen did not anticipate was the enthusiasm shown by civilian buyers, particularly younger drivers, who recognized in the versatile vehicle the same beach-and-trail lifestyle appeal and carefree spirit that had helped fuel the growing dune buggy craze of the era.

A MECHANICAL PUZZLE

The platform chosen for the Type 181 was the Karmann Ghia chassis, likely because it already featured the structural reinforcements required for an open-bodied vehicle.

From the Transporter came the taillights and suspension components, including the reduction gearboxes used at the rear. The Beetle contributed items such as the headlights, front turn signals, dashboard instruments, and fuel tank.

Power came from Volkswagen's familiar 1,493cc engine, equipped with a single carburetor and producing 44 horsepower. Fifteen-inch wheels wore 165R15 tires.

The vehicle's military origins were evident in features such as its minimalist folding top—period literature mentions an optional hardtop, although photographic evidence remains elusive—and its highly adaptable body design.

The side windows were removable and could be stored inside a dedicated bag in the luggage compartment. The doors were equally easy to remove, while the windshield could be folded forward and secured flat over the hood.

Military-specification vehicles differed in both technical and cosmetic details. Special shock absorbers were fitted, and although the drivetrain remained two-wheel drive, a limited-slip differential was available.

Beyond military service, numerous public agencies—including police departments, fire brigades, and civil defense organizations—also adopted the Type 181.

Some enthusiasts even suggest that the vehicle served as the primary inspiration for Brazil's Gurgel X-10, X-12, and Tocantins models, which would become the company's most successful product line.

One particularly unusual feature was the Eberspächer BN4 auxiliary heater. Mounted inside the front trunk, the cylindrical unit drew gasoline directly from the fuel tank and burned it to produce warm air for the cabin.

The system was controlled through a mechanical timer that could run for up to twenty minutes, along with a rotary control located to the left of the steering wheel.

Although initially produced in Wolfsburg, Type 181 assembly expanded in November 1970 to Volkswagen's Mexican operations, where the model was marketed as the VW Safari.

A year later, assembly also began at P.T. German Motor Manufacturing in Jakarta, Indonesia.

For 1971, engine displacement increased to 1,600cc. In 1972, the wheels were changed to 14-inch units fitted with larger 185R14 tires.

THE THING ARRIVES

In March 1973, Volkswagen decided to increase local content in Mexico with a specific goal in mind: exporting the vehicle to the United States.

The company originally intended to market it there under the Safari name. However, General Motors already owned the rights to that designation through its Pontiac Safari station wagon.

Faced with the trademark conflict, Volkswagen opted for a far more unconventional name: The Thing.

The advertising campaign embraced the model's uniqueness. Slogans such as "It's not a car, it's a Thing" and "The Thing can be anything" highlighted the vehicle's versatility and unconventional character.

The Mexican localization program brought a number of significant changes. Beetle-style "elephant foot" taillights replaced the smaller Transporter units—although military versions retained the original lights. The steering wheel changed from a two-spoke to a four-spoke design, engine compression was increased to raise output to 55 horsepower, and the windshield wiper controls were relocated from the dashboard to the steering column.

The older swing-axle rear suspension with reduction boxes was also replaced by the more modern IRS independent rear suspension derived from the Beetle 1302.

For U.S.-market vehicles, the front fenders were slightly redesigned to accommodate larger turn-signal lamps.

Despite targeting younger buyers, the Thing carried a price tag comparable to that of a Karmann Ghia Convertible.

To improve affordability, Volkswagen introduced several revisions for the 1974 model year—the same year as the vehicle featured in this article, imported from the United States in 2019 and now part of the Garagem BC Collection, a future museum dedicated to classic Volkswagens in the coastal city of Balneário Camboriú, southern Brazil.

The most significant change was the elimination of the complex gasoline-powered heater. In its place came the conventional Beetle-style heating system, which used exhaust heat exchangers and was operated through levers beside the parking brake.

To draw cleaner air and reduce dust contamination, Volkswagen engineers added prominent air intake boxes mounted on the rear fenders, featuring louvered openings on top.

Virtually all U.S.-specification vehicles were equipped with heating systems, while the feature remained optional in Mexico. As a result, post-1974 Safaris without the distinctive rear-side intake boxes can still be found.

Additional changes for 1974 included relocating the exterior mirrors from the removable doors to the body itself.

That same year also saw the introduction of the Acapulco edition, featuring a canopy-style roof intended for resort and tourist transportation duties.

Despite Volkswagen's efforts, 1974 would prove to be the final year for The Thing in the United States, where new federal safety regulations effectively excluded the model from the market.

Production in Germany—which moved from Wolfsburg to Hannover in May 1974 and later to Emden in August 1975—continued until January 1978, when the long-awaited Type 183 Iltis was finally ready to assume its military role.

In Mexico, the Safari received a glovebox door beginning in 1975 and remained in production until January 1980.

For a vehicle conceived as a temporary solution, The Thing ultimately proved more successful and enduring than many built projects of its era. Today, it remains one of the most recognizable and desirable classics in Volkswagen's rich history—a military stopgap that found a second life as a symbol of adventure, leisure, and freedom.