1973 Volkswagen Thing

1973 Volkswagen Thing — White with Black Top, Removable Doors, Fold-Down Windshield


Why This Car Is Special

The 1973 Volkswagen Thing is one of the more honest vehicles ever sold to the American public. It does not pretend to be anything other than what it is: a simple, open-air, go-anywhere machine with military roots and absolutely zero pretense. VW sold the Type 181 — that is its official designation — in the United States for just three model years, from 1973 through 1975, and the car developed a devoted following almost immediately. This particular 1973 Volkswagen Thing presents in white with a black convertible top, black vinyl interior, and whitewall tires on steel wheels with hubcaps. It is a correct, characterful example of a vehicle that is genuinely scarce and getting harder to find in solid condition.

The Thing traces its lineage directly to a West German military vehicle called the Mehrzweckfahrzeug, or multi-purpose vehicle, which Volkswagen produced through the 1960s for the Bundeswehr. When VW decided to bring a civilian version to market in 1969, they used the same basic concept — flat body panels, removable components, air-cooled mechanicals — and sold it first in Mexico and Europe before finally bringing it stateside in 1973. U.S. regulations actually forced VW to add safety bumpers and side marker lights for American-market cars, which gives 1973–1975 Things their slightly beefier look compared to European examples. The name 'Thing' was coined specifically for American buyers because Volkswagen's marketing team decided the car was simply too strange to describe otherwise. They were not wrong. Fewer than 25,000 Things were sold in the United States across the entire three-year run, making any well-preserved survivor worth paying attention to.

The VIN on this car confirms it is a 1973 model year U.S.-specification vehicle, built at VW's Emden, Germany plant. The 'E' suffix in the VIN encodes the 1973 model year, consistent with German-market Type 181 production records.


Features List

- 1.6L Air-Cooled Flat-4 Engine
- 4-Speed Manual Transmission
- Rear-Mounted Engine
- Removable Black Convertible Soft Top
- Fold-Down Windshield
- Removable Doors
- Black Vinyl Interior
- Whitewall Tires
- Steel Wheels with Hubcaps
- Undercoated Floorpan
- Dual Exhaust Tips
- White Exterior


Mechanical

The 1973 Volkswagen Thing runs the same 1.6-liter air-cooled flat-four engine that powered generations of VW products, including the Beetle and the Bus. In U.S. trim for 1973, this engine produced approximately 46 horsepower, which is modest by any measure but entirely appropriate for a vehicle that weighs just over 1,800 pounds. The engine sits in the rear of the car, driving the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual gearbox — a layout VW used across its entire lineup during this era and one that the company had refined over decades of production.

Because the engine is air-cooled, there is no radiator, no coolant, and no water pump to worry about. The simplicity of this drivetrain is a genuine advantage for ownership and maintenance. Parts remain widely available through the VW air-cooled community, and any mechanic familiar with vintage VW Beetles can work on a Thing without having to source exotic components. The rear engine lid opens to give full access to the motor, and the photos here show the characteristic yellow-painted engine bay that was standard on the Type 181. The dual exhaust tips exit below the rear bumper, a visual signature of the model.

The floorpan on this car has been undercoated, which is an important detail on any vintage Thing. The flat, stamped-steel floor is the first place these vehicles typically show age, and a properly undercoated pan significantly extends the useful life of the chassis. The underside photos show solid, black-coated suspension components and floor sections, which is encouraging on a 50-year-old open-air vehicle.


Interior

The interior of this 1973 Volkswagen