Photo: lars_o_saeltzer via Instagram
The Volkswagen Type 181 was known under many names across the globe, but none was more fitting than the one it got in the U.S. - the Thing.
Bear in mind this was before the sci-fi horror film going by the same name so, back then, it didn't necessarily have any negative connotations. But it still branded the Volkswagen model as a... thing - something impossible to describe or file under any existing category.
Well, considering it was made using parts from several other cars, that only seems fitting. The Type 181 was intended as a quick solution to a much bigger problem, a patch that could fill a gap before someone could come up with the real answer. The question? Making the European equivalent of America's Jeep.
Just like the best culinary creations were invented by mixing the few things that were lying around the kitchen, so did the German carmaker go about designing the Type 181. It used the flat-four engine in the Type 1 (the Beetle), the floorpans of the Karmann Ghia, and the general concept of the Type 82 Kübelwagen, with which it bears a striking resemblance.
The Thing came with a few weird features, such as the removable and completely interchangeable (on either side, obviously) doors, a folding and removable roof, and a collapsible windshield. Its interior featured the bare minimum of amenities and was designed to be easily hosed down. It was, by all intents and purposes, a European Jeep, save for one key element: it didn't have all-wheel-drive.
Like the cars it was based on, it had a rear-engine rear-wheel-drive architecture, which meant it kept things simple and the weight to a minimum. However, even with just the two rear wheels getting the power, it was still much more off-road worthy than, say, the Beetle, simply due to its higher ground clearance and overall more robust design.
This modern reinterpretation of the classic VW model would probably have to ditch the Thing's simplicity - or at least put a spin on it to better suit what would undoubtedly be a pure lifestyle vehicle. The Type 181 connection would also provide an excellent excuse to make the ID.182 (our unofficial name for this even more unofficial rendering) RWD, reducing weight and complexity and maximizing the EV's range.
Design-wise, the author kept things simple, which was definitely the right way to approach the project. However, the round headlights, the clam hood, and the overall boxy shapes give it an eerie Mercedes-Benz G-Class vibe. It makes perfect sense when you consider the original's appearance, but that doesn't help shake the feeling we're now looking at a weird, all-electric, convertible G-Wagen with a Volkswagen badge on the nose.
But this is far from fantasy considering that only last year, Volkswagen trademarked the name "e-Thing" and the latest rumors surrounding the German carmaker say that a reboot of the classic model could very well be on the cards to slot alongside the ID.Buzz. We're not entirely sure what VW's plan is with this retro-inspired range of EVs, but we're not going to complain about a departure from the classic, safe, designs of the rest of the ID range - or, indeed, the entire Volkswagen range - though spy photos of the ID.Buzz (featured in the gallery) don't seem to be putting the electric minivan in such a flattering light.
Well, considering it was made using parts from several other cars, that only seems fitting. The Type 181 was intended as a quick solution to a much bigger problem, a patch that could fill a gap before someone could come up with the real answer. The question? Making the European equivalent of America's Jeep.
Just like the best culinary creations were invented by mixing the few things that were lying around the kitchen, so did the German carmaker go about designing the Type 181. It used the flat-four engine in the Type 1 (the Beetle), the floorpans of the Karmann Ghia, and the general concept of the Type 82 Kübelwagen, with which it bears a striking resemblance.
The Thing came with a few weird features, such as the removable and completely interchangeable (on either side, obviously) doors, a folding and removable roof, and a collapsible windshield. Its interior featured the bare minimum of amenities and was designed to be easily hosed down. It was, by all intents and purposes, a European Jeep, save for one key element: it didn't have all-wheel-drive.
Like the cars it was based on, it had a rear-engine rear-wheel-drive architecture, which meant it kept things simple and the weight to a minimum. However, even with just the two rear wheels getting the power, it was still much more off-road worthy than, say, the Beetle, simply due to its higher ground clearance and overall more robust design.
This modern reinterpretation of the classic VW model would probably have to ditch the Thing's simplicity - or at least put a spin on it to better suit what would undoubtedly be a pure lifestyle vehicle. The Type 181 connection would also provide an excellent excuse to make the ID.182 (our unofficial name for this even more unofficial rendering) RWD, reducing weight and complexity and maximizing the EV's range.
Design-wise, the author kept things simple, which was definitely the right way to approach the project. However, the round headlights, the clam hood, and the overall boxy shapes give it an eerie Mercedes-Benz G-Class vibe. It makes perfect sense when you consider the original's appearance, but that doesn't help shake the feeling we're now looking at a weird, all-electric, convertible G-Wagen with a Volkswagen badge on the nose.
But this is far from fantasy considering that only last year, Volkswagen trademarked the name "e-Thing" and the latest rumors surrounding the German carmaker say that a reboot of the classic model could very well be on the cards to slot alongside the ID.Buzz. We're not entirely sure what VW's plan is with this retro-inspired range of EVs, but we're not going to complain about a departure from the classic, safe, designs of the rest of the ID range - or, indeed, the entire Volkswagen range - though spy photos of the ID.Buzz (featured in the gallery) don't seem to be putting the electric minivan in such a flattering light.
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