Factory code: Type 183
In the mid-1970s, the German Armed Forces commission Volkswagen to develop a successor to the DKW Munga. The development contract is forwarded to Ingolstadt under the type number 183. There, a compact four-door, four-seater body is produced as a pre-production model, which adopts parts of the floor pan and the wheelbase from its predecessor.
The vehicle is developed from the Volkswagen modular system: the engine comes from the South American Passat. It is bored out to 1,700 cc, achieving 55 kW (75 PS), and is given a power transmission that compensates for its relatively low output.
In addition to the drive, the transmission and power transmission are at the heart of every off-road vehicle: the VW Iltis uses a five-speed transmission from the Audi 100, the first gear of which is designed as an unsynchronised low gear and off-road gear for high torque at low speeds. The front and rear axles are identical in design and have optional lockable differentials. It is this design that inspires Audi's quattro all-wheel drive models.
Volkswagen guarantees full functionality at temperatures ranging from minus 30 to plus 44 degrees Celsius. A climbing ability of 77 percent, a wading depth of 60 centimetres, and a top speed of 130 km/h round off the picture of an economical and powerful off-road vehicle.
In 1983, the Canadian Bombardier Group acquire the licence. From 1984 to 1986, it delivers 2,500 units of a modified Iltis version called Polecat to the Canadian and Belgian armies. Hundreds of units also head to South Africa. From 1986 onwards, further vehicles are manufactured in Brussels for the Belgian army.
To supplement this, a 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine with 51 kW (70 PS) is adapted for use in the Iltis at the Volkswagen plant in Brussels and installed in around 800 vehicles for the German Armed Forces in 1987 and 1988.
