Typing Your VW

Volkswagen, in its origins, referred to both the car and the company. This was fine as long as they were all the same, but as their product line expanded, it was necessary to actually name their different vehicles. German imagination running slightly behind German engineering. They decided to go with Type 1 through IV. All are air-cooled, rear-engined vehicles, with similar body pans but not much in common when seen on the road.

The Type 1

The first body type was called Type 1, of course, and the second body type logically became Type II. This being unwieldy for common use, people naturally adopted nicknames, the Type 1 being called the ?Bug? or Beetle in the U.S., ?Kafer? in Germany, ?Fusca? in Brazil and so on. Officially, its called the Type I; Sedan, Convertible, and Sunroof, on the standard and export models. Type II is usually called the ?Bus?, ?Transporter? or ?Station Wagon?. Due to importation rules, there is yet another Station Wagon model.

This brings us to the mid 1950’s when things get a bit messier. First, the Karmann Ghia was added using the same floor pan as the Bug. That makes a Ghia and a Bug both Type I’s, confused yet?

The Type 2

This leads us to the Type II category. Volkswagen engineers removed the roof and the back end of the Bus, making it into a ‘pickup’, available in both Single-Cab and Double-Cab varieties. The Double-Cab is a true Double-Cab with full-size doors for front and back.
Since many people converted their buses into camping vehicles, several after-market companies started doing this too, in addition to Volkswagen itself. The official Volkswagen version of the camper is called the Westphalia, named from the Westphalia region of Germany. The Westphalia is distinguished by its pop-up top.

Several commercial variations of the Bus were produced, such as fire trucks and ambulances. All versions of the Bus still fall in the Type II category. Despite phenomenal sales of the Type 1 and decent Type II sales, Volkswagen was a little nervous about relying almost entirely on the Bug for its profits.

The Type 3

Initially intended as a replacement for the Bug Volkswagen designed the 1500 in the early 60’s. The 1500 was built on a new pan and it was called the Type III.

Type Ills were more advanced than the Bug which was nearly 20 years old. The Type III had more space, better handling, an advanced engine, and of course, higher price tag. By the time the Type III’s were imported to the Us, there were three variations, the Fastback, the Squareback and Notchback. In the U.S. the Fastback was referred to as a sedan. In Great Britain it was the Notchback that was called a sedan. The Squareback can also be called a Station Wagon, causing confusion when you run into the odd person still calling a Bus a Station Wagon. At any rate, referring to the style of the back seems safest.

The Fastback looks much like a MG Fastback, or somewhat similar to a Mustang Fastback. The Squareback holds a distinct resemblance to a Volvo station wagon, and the Notchback looks like the Squareback in a typical sedan style (cars with back trunks). All three are distinguished as Volkswagens by their ‘shark gills’ in the back, used to feed air to the engine (still air-cooled in the rear). They also can be distinguished by having trunk space in front and back. For some reason, perhaps price, they never really took off and were discontinued in 1973.

Rather than change their bread-and-butter vehicle, Volkswagen kept the Bug, at least in appearances, largely unchanged. The Bug did benefit from improvements in the other Types Many advances, such as electronic fuel injection and disc brakes were first installed in the Type Ill, and then later incorporated in the Type 1. Larger engines were designed for the Type II, as it needed more power to make up for its mass, and the these engine improvements would later also go into the Type 1.

Also introduced at this time was the Type Ill (34) Karmann Ghia, which looks nothing like the Type 1 Ghia. With four headlights and sharp edges on the styling, it was another unique vehicle. In 1969 the Type I line was expanded with the ‘Thing,’ or ?Safari? Basically a jeep-like throwback to the Kubelwagen made for the Nazis during their war efforts.

The Type 4

Last and almost least, particularly in sales, was the Type IV I've never seen one in person, but the pictures show this to be one ugly car (sorry Type IV fans). This, and a susceptibility to rust, results in few being around today. Known by their full name as 411/412 (apparently not popular enough to warrant a real nickname), they were designed in conjunction with Porsche for their 914 series. As you are all probably aware, Ferdinand Porsche basically began and did much early design work for both companies. The Porsche 914/6 used the 911’s 2-5 litre engine. Eventually when the 411-412 was discontinued, and its engine was moved into the Bus (Type II).

The 411-412 vehicles have 4 headlights, came with either 2 or 4 doors and were rather plain looking up front compared to the curves and chrome on the rest of the Volkswagen line. The Type IV’s was produced from’68 to ‘74, a time when Volkswagen started abandoning the aircooled line for its second-generation vehicles.

Hopefully this gives you a greater appreciation for the varieties of the air-cooled Volkswagens out there. As a Volkswagen fan, people keep asking me, “So, do you have a Bug”. Well I have a fastback; maybe you noticed my bias? Saying that you own a Fastback usually requires some explanation that it is indeed a bona-fide rear-engined air-cooled Volkswagen.

Due to the lower number of Type Ills produced, they are harder to get parts for. I like to be a little different, which is one reason I was attracted to Volkswagens in the first place. I think we all are, after all, think of the logo - ?It's not a car, it's a Volkswagen?

Special thanks to the author :
Ben Neff of Club Veedub, Sydney, Australia