1973 Volkswagen THING Type 181 Convertible LOW Original Miles

1973 Volkswagen Thing Type 181 Additional Info:

Great Lakes Classic Cars Proudly Presents This Unique 1973 VW Thing Type 181 Convertible Our car was acquired from the nephew of original owner whom cared for it with lots of love for its duration of ownership. We were excited at how good condition the vehicle was. Outside a few blems we were very happy to have acquired it. During inspection we noticed the drain holes were clogged and had some bubbling around them so we immediately stripped it and repaired it with metal around the drain openings on rockers and fenders, got the entire ext

Great Lakes Classic CarsProudly PresentsThis Unique1973 VW ThingType 181 ConvertibleOur car was acquired from the nephew of original owner whom cared for it with lots of love for its duration of ownership.We were excited at how good condition the vehicle was. Outside a few blems we were very happy to have acquired it.During inspection we noticed the drain holes were clogged and had some bubbling around them so we immediately stripped it and repaired it with metal around the drain openings on rockers and fenders, got the entire exterior painted and had the awesome vinyl applique redone back as it was optioned with andpainted on when new.We chose to duplicate all exterior stripes and lettering in vinyl so if not to taste of new owner/s it can be easily removed.We loved it and had to add back onto it. No reason to undo something that is so cool and Iconic to the era.Check out the pictures of the floor boards from inside the vehicle and undercarriage pictures. Excellent shape and consistent with the low mileage and care the VW has received over the years.Also notice the inside body panels, front trunk, and engine bay,,, all original paint and finish and in great original condition.Shows with pride how solid and clean the Thing is.The top is in great shape as are the seats in the interior, the removable side windows are a bit cloudy and replacement of the isinglass will be required but they are functional as is and obviously good to have.This VW THING is a crowd favorite wherever it goes, I personally love it!The Colors, the Style, The Top Down Fun and enjoyment that it brings to your outing. Simply put an Excellent vehicle that will continue to appreciate in value and be a joy to own for years to come.The VW Thing is consistently climbing in value and this example is of such and a joy to own.The Volkswagen Type 181 was designed as a forestry/military vehicle to be used in Europe, mainly the German Army.It was built in Europe from 1969 through 1971 after which, Mexico began producing the vehicle.In Mexico it was called 'Safari'. Pontiac had a station wagon in the mid 1950's named 'Safari', so Volkswagen was unable to use that name in the US market.So the decision was made to label the vehicle, 'The Thing'. The Thing was a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicle based loosely on the platform of the Beetle.With its four doors, it appeared to be much larger than a Volkswagen Beetle, however, it was only a few inches wider and weighed about the same.A Volkswagen air-cooled, 1.6-liter flat-four provided 46 horsepower and 70 foot-pounds of torque.It was capable of achieving a top speed of around 70 miles per hour.With a price tag of around $3,000, it was close to one-thousand dollars more than a Volkswagen Beetle; a high price to pay for an SUV with modest horsepower and no four-wheel drive.Its ultimate demise was its inability to meet U.S. government crash test standards for 'passenger cars' in 1975.It was able to avoid those requirements by being classified as a 'Multi-Purpose Vehicle' in 1973 and 1974.In 1975 production ceased after about 25,000 examples were produced.Thank you for looking at our VW Thing;Good Luck and Happy BiddingWe Sell and Ship Worldwide