You guys all know that I’m a sucker for a car with a fastback roofline…and now I’m not talking about modern 4-door “coupes” — I’m looking at cars like the Mustang Fastback or the first generation Barracuda. But this car has one more feature that makes me salivate — a frunk. Yes, the front trunk […]
The Type 3 was a compact offering from Volkswagen that was sold from 1961 through 1973 in Notchback, Fastback, Squareback, and Sedan Delivery (like a wagon, but no windows) variants. Volkswagen never sold a pickup truck version (the Caddy pickup didn’t arrive until the 1979 Rabbit/Golf platform) but that didn’t stop this next builder from […]
If this next car looks simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, you are not alone. This car is a result of some international disputes that made Brazil ban (or make them really expensive) the importing of foreign cars for a number of years. The folks at Volkswagen got around the furrin car hate by building a factory (or two) in Brasil and eventually letting the locals design and develop their own cars. Nossa Senhora! This car is a Volkswagon of Brasil built type 3 that was designed by Marcio Piancastelli and it was given the nickname of Zé do Caixão (“Coffin Joe”) because of its boxy shape. This 1969 Volkswagen 1600L failed to meet reserve at a bid of $9800 (but will probably be back up for sale soon) located in Daytona Beach, FL.
The Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback was sold from 1961 through 1973 in three distinct configurations, the notchback (looks like a notich), the squareback (has a square back), and the fastback…which is fast? This next thing is a fastback, but it has been converted into a Baja ready off-road machine without a back seat or any of the creature comforts that your wife might expect in a classic. But those rock skid bars look cool. Find this 1968 Volkswagen Fastback Type 3 offered for $4000 in San Diego, CA via craigslist.
The Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback was sold from 1961 through 1973 in three distinct configurations, the notchback (looks coupish), the squareback (a wagon thing), and the fastback…which is what we have here today. Power comes from Volkswagen’s 1600 cc version of the aircooled flat-4 that was fuel injected starting in 1968, but today’s car has a freshly built 1835cc motor fed with some Weber carbs. Find this 1971 Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback offered for $7900 in Buckeye, AZ via craigslist.
The Type 3 was a Dustin Hoffman approved Fastback, Notchback (coupe) and Squareback (wagon) that offered an improved driving experience for VW lovers over the ancient Beetle, but in a familiar rear-engine air-cooled setup. Prices for the Type 3 were always higher than a similar condition Beetle, and the days of cheap examples is long gone, but you don’t need to be a Rockefeller to afford a decent version. Find this 1969 Volkswagen Type 3 Squareback offered for $6,600 reserve-not-met via eBay with 5 days to go in Lakeland, FL.
The Volkswagen Squareback is a wagon variant of the popular Type 3 platform, which was a shared floorpan that used Type 1 Beetle (and Type 14 Karmann Ghia and Type 2 Bus) parts to build rear-engine air-cooled Notchback, Fastback, and Squareback. It is funny to think that 50 years ago Volkswagen was this tremendous builder of economy cars that were interesting and different from the mainstream, but today it owns Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Porsche — and it mostly sells boring same-as-everybody-else-but-marketed-different junk. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad about being the largest seller of vehicles in the world, but where did all the aircooled fun stuff go? Find this 1972 Volkswagen Squareback offered for $2700 in Sacramento, CA via craigslist.
The Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback was sold from 1961 through 1973 in three distinct configurations, the notchback (looks coupish), the squareback (a wagon thing), and the fastback…which is what we have here today. Power comes from Volkswagen’s 1600 cc version of the aircooled flat-4 that was fuel injected starting in 1968. Find this 1969 Volkswagen Type 3 […]
Part AC ME3000 and part Matra 530, this conglomeration of influences is mostly VW, as you may expect. Then something brilliant happened; the VW pancake motor was exchanged for a Mazda rotary, thereby reducing the kit-car-ness by at least 50% and miraculously transforming it into something you want. Find this 1968 Hebina Gazelle for sale […]
You are an Libertarian leaning Republican who loves air cooled Volkswagens, but you can’t drive a Beetle or a “Hippie Bus” because you’ll look like a damn communist. What if you combined the free market vibe of a Volkswagen Squareback with the redneck utility of a pickup truck? You’ve even got a spare Ron Paul […]