Factory code: Type 181
A surprising car arrives from Volkswagen in 1969: the Type 181, known as the “Kurierwagen” (courier car). The German Armed Forces needs to compensate for the phasing out of the DKW Munga and commissions Volkswagen to develop an off-road multi-purpose vehicle. However, the engineers did not have to start from scratch, as they had already been offered the design of the VW Country Buggy, which had been developed in Australia and presented in 1967. Volkswagen engineers from the Australian assembly plant in Clayton, Victoria, were responsible for this rather spartan vehicle.
Surprisingly, the specifications do not insist on four-wheel drive. This allows the development engineers to draw on Volkswagen's large pool of components: The revised platform comes from the VW Karmann Ghia Type 14, the modified front axle, engine, clutch, steering, and instruments come from the VW Beetle 1500, and the gearbox and rear axle with the rare wheel gearbox, which increases ground clearance and transmission ratio, come from the VW Type 2 T1 Transporter (and not from its successor). An optional limited-slip differential is available. This package is designed to ensure the necessary off-road capability even under military conditions.
Four drum brakes, which are considered more resilient and low-maintenance off-road, provide the necessary deceleration. The courier vehicle is covered by an all-weather PVC soft top, the windscreen can be folded down and the doors, which are fitted with plug-in panels, can be removed. The rustic, four-door convertible, which even has auxiliary heating, also has many fans outside the German Armed Forces. In the USA, the VW 181 – affectionately known as "The Thing" – achieves cult status among surfers and hippies.
