What Happened To The VW Thing, And How Much Is One Worth Today?

The complexity and computerization of modern cars have made retro classics like the VW Thing cool again. It was officially dubbed the Type 181, but was sold as the Trekker in the United Kingdom, the Safari in Mexico,  and Pescaccia — or "beastly fish" — in Italy. It debuted as the Thing in the United States as a 1973 model, and is remarkably primitive compared to modern cars.

The Thing has corrugated sides, removable doors, a fold-down windshield, and a removable top. You don't have to squint hard to see the familiar silhouette of a VW Beetle when looking at the Thing because, well, the Thing is essentially a Beetle underneath its angular, utilitarian Kübelwagen profile. The Thing even shares its rear-mounted 96.7 cubic inch, 46-horsepower flat-four engine with the Beetle.

The Thing had a much shorter lifespan in the United States than the Beetle, although Volkswagen sold 28,930 Things before production ended in 1974. Ultimately, new federal safety regulations doomed it stateside. There was no way that a spartan VW Thing could meet the safety standards for U.S. passenger cars in 1975, so Volkswagen had no choice but to pull the plug.

With less than 29,000 models sold in the United States and a short production run, it's understandable why collectors are willing to shell out serious money to add a VW Thing to their vintage car collection. Classic.com cites the average sale price for a used Thing at around $21,700, with a handful of clean examples going for twice that or more. The rise in value is impressive, especially considering the VW Thing had a $2,750 MSRP when it sold in 1974. Accounting for inflation, that equals around $18,600 today.

The Volkswagen Thing was never about speed. It goes from zero to 60 mph in a leisurely 23.2 seconds, which is achingly slow for a car from any era. It was only available in three colors — orange, white, or yellow — none of which made our list of classic car shades that should be brought back. The Thing also had a strange body design with front and rear ends barely distinguishable from each other, and it doesn't have the wow factor of classic Volkswagens like the Karmann Ghia or Corrado.

Then again, simple is sometimes better, since few things can break or go wrong. With the VW Thing, you can muck up the floors with mud, sand, or gravel and wash off the entire cabin without fear of shorting computers or fancy electronics. It has a unique charm, and that's what makes it valuable.