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

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. 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. It's not hard to recognize the familiar shape of a VW Beetle when looking at the Thing, because the Thing is essentially a Beetle, just with a more angular and practical Kübelwagen design. In fact, the Thing even uses the same 96.7 cubic inch, 46-horsepower flat-four engine as the Beetle, which is mounted in the rear.

The Thing had a significantly shorter life span in the United States compared to the Beetle, with Volkswagen selling only 28,930 Things before production ended in 1974. Ultimately, new federal safety regulations in the US ended up being the Thing's downfall. There was no way a basic VW Thing could meet the safety standards for U.S. passenger cars by 1975, so Volkswagen had no choice but to discontinue it.

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The Volkswagen Thing is a highly sought-after collectible classic.

The average price for a used Thing is approximately $21,700, with some well-maintained models selling for nearly twice that amount or more. This significant increase in value is particularly notable when you consider that the VW Thing originally retailed for $2,750 in 1974. Adjusted for inflation, that's equivalent to about $18,600 today.

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It's refreshing to see that sometimes, simplicity is the best approach, as there are fewer things that can go wrong. For instance, the VW Thing allows you to get the cabin dirty with mud, sand, or gravel, and you can easily wash it off without worrying about damaging any computers or high-tech electronics. Its unique charm is what makes it so valuable.

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