VW TYPE 3 FULL

The Type 3 was a rousing success вЂ“ on average, a quarter million units of these were made every year from 1964 to 1971. The Beetle platform was modified slightly, including a new front suspension and a wider rear track, but the old Type 1вЂ™s swing axle and wheelbase we kept as-were, at least initially. It looked like a completely new car вЂ“ something that had already faded away, as these things tend to do, by the time our feature car was made. In the early years, when Notchbacks ruled the Earth, the Type 3вЂ™s up-to-date styling was perhaps as important as its technical specs and much improved interior space. And she said sheвЂ™d much rather you take her in the Type 2, if you catch her drift.Д«ut back to the subject at hand. Emissions were progressively stifled, which affected performance. With the tawdry вЂ70s came a few obligatory (but self-inflicted) enhancements and various unsolicited touches here and there. It was a rather pathetic twilight, as befell so many other models in their time. In middle-age, the Type 3s got a front end restyle, ugly (but not 5mph) bumpers and less chrome. A spiced-up 53 HP вЂњSвЂќ version of the pancake appeared in 1963. It also enabled VW to develop a wagon variant вЂ“ inherently uncommon in rear-engined vehicles. A larger, yet flatter and very compact (18 inches tall!) engine, it provided a lot more torque and a little more HP. The solution: the вЂњpancakeвЂќ 1500cc flat-4, producing 44 HP (DIN).

VW TYPE 3 FULL

The flat-4 also wasnвЂ™t using its layoutвЂ™s full potential. The Karmann-Ghia (Type 14) brought a touch of вЂ50s glamour to the range, but the 1200cc flat-4 was just too weak to power a larger, more family-sized saloon that VW needed to broaden their range. Porsche collaborated with Volkswagen on several of these, but there were also a number of independent attempts from various corners вЂ“ including the likes of Karmann or Wendler, but also the prolific Italian carrozzerie, as seen above (and in more depth in this excellent post). A number of stabs at a slightly bigger and more modern VW were made throughout the вЂ50s. IвЂ™m sure most of you know more about the Type 3 than I do, but just in case, hereвЂ™s a quickie historical recap. itвЂ™s not dragging its knuckles on the floor with silly-sized wheels, nor is it painted some improbable colour and / or otherwise deformed, chopped or fuzzy-diced to a pulp.ДЄbove: a few of the many VW prototypes below: one-offs by Vignale (1953) and Frua / Italsuisse (1960) But it still looks like a mid-вЂ60s VW 1500.

This Notchback Type 3 is (in my personal and most humble opinion, of course) just about as much custom I can take in one sitting. But there are degrees in customization, and there are many cars that do benefit from a little tinkering or modern technology. IвЂ™ve said it before: 99.9% of cars look better when they are original. Visiting LuwiвЂ™s hometown and exploring a few corners of the vast archipelago a few months ago, he showed me his pet project, this slightly modified 1964 Volkswagen Type 3. (Though neither of us is Thai, Mrs T87 and I met there seven years ago).

Last year, he went back to his native Jakarta and we returned to Bangkok. I met him when we moved to Myanmar five years ago. This car belongs to my buddy Luwi, whom I have mentioned more in a couple of previous posts. it would be an occasion to delve into VWвЂ™s flat-4 era. It belonged to a friend of mine so I could really photograph it вЂ“ not to mention ride in it вЂ“ to my heartвЂ™s content and 3. ItвЂ™s mathematically two whole Types better than the Type 1 and numbers never lie 2. I was thrilled to catch this early Type 3 in Jakarta, Indonesia вЂ“ almost half a world away from Wolfsburg.

Vw type 3