What is a VW Thing?

The VW Thing was a four-door convertible, two-wheel drive, off-road vehicle that was produced by Volkswagen from 1968 to 1983. It was initially created as a forestry/military vehicle to be used in Europe by the West German Army.

The VW Thing had an air-cooled, 1.6-liter flat-four with 46 horsepower and 70 foot-pounds of torque. It had a top speed of about 70 miles per hour. In Germany, it is known as the Type 181; it is known as the Thing in the United States, the Safari in South America and Mexico, and the Pescaccia in Italy. After model year 1980, it was no longer sold to civilians.