This Weird 1973 Volkswagen Has No Reserve—and It Could Sell for Thousands

A 1973 Volkswagen Thing will be offered at a U.S. auction later this month. The unmistakable little off-roader is being sold with no reserve, meaning it will go to the highest bidder regardless of the final price. The car is the American-market version of the Type 181, a model originally developed in the late 1960s for the West German military before a civilian version arrived in 1971.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Thing, the name wasn't the result of a drafting mistake or a designer's joke. Volkswagen sold the Type 181 under the Thing name in North America. In Europe, it was known as the Trekker, while Mexico got the Safari name.

The story started with a military contract. In the 1960s, the West German military was looking for a lightweight, uncomplicated vehicle that could replace the American Jeep. Volkswagen developed a vehicle using mechanical components from the civilian Beetle, including an air-cooled engine, rear-wheel drive and an extremely utilitarian body.

The military accepted the design, but civilian buyers quickly took a liking to the odd-looking machine as well. Sales began in 1971, and two years later the Thing arrived in the United States.

The model was sold in America for just two years, in 1973 and 1974. Estimates suggest fewer than 5,000 examples have survived. The car heading to auction is a genuine time capsule. It has never been restored and retains its original body, interior and factory engine. The odometer shows about 33,000 miles.

Simple by Design

Mechanically, the Thing is about as straightforward as it gets. Under the body is a 1.6-liter flat-four producing roughly 46 horsepower, paired with a four-speed manual transmission. The engine runs, although it needs routine maintenance. Power goes to the rear wheels.

The interior takes minimalism to another level. There are barely any gauges: just a speedometer with an integrated fuel gauge. The glovebox is nothing more than an open storage shelf with no lid.

There is, however, one particularly practical feature: the floor can be washed out with a hose.

The doors are removable and can even be swapped from front to rear. The windshield folds down. The heater runs on gasoline and connects directly to the fuel system. That setup sounds wild by modern standards, but it was perfectly acceptable when the Thing was new.

No Reserve Could Make This Auction Interesting

Auction house Kruse is offering the Volkswagen without a reserve. That usually suggests the seller is more interested in moving the car than guaranteeing a specific minimum price.

Recent sales data puts Volkswagen Thing values roughly between $8,000 and $30,000. Well-maintained examples with interesting histories tend to land toward the upper end, while cars needing restoration can sell for considerably less.

The Thing doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. There is no leather interior, no touchscreen, no infotainment system and no collection of selectable drive modes for snow or mud.

It simply goes down the road—and can handle surprisingly rough terrain along the way.

That straightforward character is a big part of the Thing's appeal today. How much this particular example will bring remains to be seen, but with its original condition, low mileage and no-reserve auction format, it should attract plenty of attention.