Weird and Wonderful VWs - part 1

In the next few months I hop to bring you some of the stranger and rarer vehicles that VW have produced over the years, if anybody out there knows of any weird and wonderful VW related vehicles - let me know.

VW Itlis

VW is well known for producing the Kubelwagen during WWII, and the civilian Type 181 “Thing” during the sixties, but I came across this military Vehicle on the Web. The VW Itlis was originally designed for the German Army as an amphibious Jeep in the 1960s, but later changed to a non amphibious military utility vehicle.

It was used by the German army and is still in use by the Canadian army. It had four wheel drive, a plastic body shell and very good off road characteristics. The Canadians claimed it would still float if not heavily loaded. Some ex Canadian army models have been bought up by VW fans in North America - but I have never heard of any surviving Itlis’s in Europe.

more on the Itlis here

VW Fridolin

Firstly, special thanks to the Virtual Beetle Museum for this rare VW. You can visit the Virtual museum at www.virtualbeetlemuseum.com, it contains a spectacular array of 3D computer models of aircooled VWs, very carefully and accurately modelled. Guillaume d'Hubert, who created the site tells me, ?The Fridolin was the name given to a model of van built for German and Swiss posts, it was based on a type 14 chassis with a sliding door, pretty rare now?. - but the Frid has recently undergone a revival with many being fully restores, including the 2 above at the Volksworld show in 2002.

Golf Country Synchro 4WD

I never knew a Golf with off road clearance and 4 wheel drive existed, although now the Golf IV has the option of “4 motion” 4WD. See more rare 4WD vehicles at: http://4wd.sofcom.com/VW. The site states “The Golf Synchro (4x4) has been available from 1986 with the Golf 2, 3 and also in the new Golf 4 (the system is now called "4motion"). I currently own a 1988 Synchro Golf with 1.8 L , but I also own a 1990 Golf Country Synchro, these where built in 1990-91 and according to my knowledge in the Austrian Puch factory (4000 in total). 4000 Rallye Golf were also built with the Synchro system and a 1,8L Engine with the G60 charger”.

- Cullen K. Holm

It's a Bus, No, It's a Tank, it's a UFO

Both of these are from an aircooled web site with its own weird section. The tank / bus I have seen in Volksworld, the space van looks to me like a bit of photomontage - interesting idea though.

“Yes, NASA held this back from us all these years, and has finally unveiled their secret from the Apollo program. They were way ahead of their time in designing this masterpiece. The project fell through when someone found out this Lunar Excursion Module was air-cooled. Unfortunately, there isn't any of that type of coolant available in space. Perhaps it will be used on a manned Mars mission in the future... “

“I heard this sucker was at a swap meet in California. No joke here folks. I have no idea whether it drives or not, but doesn't it look cool? Just think, for $2500, you could really scare the hell out of your neighbours. "Honey, our neighbour doesn't just have another junker VW, this one is a tank!" Sign me up for one....It looks relatively safe too (look at the heavy duty rivets and metal on the bottom of the bus)”.

It's a Salad Thing

Lastly, this from the Type 181 web registry, don't know where exactly the States this particular buffet is though.

Weird & Wonderful Pt2 - The Boys From Brazil