Thing

The Volkswagen Type 181 was a small military vehicle produced by Volkswagen from 1969 to 1980 for the German army, as an updated version of the earlier Kübelwagen. more...

The 181 was also sold in the civilian market and enjoyed brief popularity in the United States in the mid-1970s under the name VW Thing. The vehicle was also referred to as the Safari, the Mehrzweckwagen, the Kübelwagen, and the Trekker.

The rated payload of the Type 181 for military use was 400 kg, and being a general utility vehicle, acted as a command, patrol, dispatch, or radio vehicle. Standard military equipment included an axe, headlamp blackout covers, military lighting system, map light, radio suppression ingition wires, first aid kit, four rifle mounts, front skid plate, a spade, a starting handle, towing eye, towing hook, and a wheel chock.

For civilian use, the 181 was marketed as a recreational vehicle. Attractive features included the convertible top, removable doors, and a collapsible windshield. The vehicle was offered in orange, yellow, avocado green, or white. The convertible top was offered in black, tan, white or army green. Like its cousin the Volkswagen Beetle, the Thing featured rear wheel drive with a stock 1600 cc dual port air-cooled engine in the rear.

Type 181s were built using the Karmann Ghia floorpan incorporating the reduction gearing from the VW Bus until 1973 when full independent rear suspension replaced the swing axle version. Many of the stampings were lifted from existing models to save on costs.

The Type 181 was sold as the Thing in the United States in 1973 and 1974 and as the Safari in Mexico from 1972 through 1977. A right hand drive version, the Trekker (Type 182), was built for the UK market. After 1973, Type 181s abandoned the Eberspacher gasoline heater in the US in favor of an engine/exhaust heat exchange similar to the Beetle. Military versions kept the original statonary heater for the production run.

US-spec T181s had the elephant's foot taillights sourced from the Beetle; other T181s used the taillight lenses from the 1960s-era Type 2.

The Acapulco Thing, originally designed for the Las Brisas Hotel in Acapulco, came with running boards, special upholstery and paint schemes, and a surrey top. Acapulcos are identified by their striped paint scheme and were offered in orange and white, yellow and white, green and white, or blue and white.

Between 1969 and 1982 the Type 181 was produced in Germany. From 1973 until 1980 production took place in Mexico. Total production numbers are vague, and range from 70,495 to almost double that at 140,768.

In North America, the Thing was criticized for failure to comply with federal safety standards for passenger cars. Rather than redesign the vehicle, Volkswagen abandoned the US market altogether and the last 181s were sold in the United States in 1974. They continued to produce vehicles for NATO and Civilian Defence in Germany until 1983.

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