{"id":11926,"date":"2019-01-31T09:30:31","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T17:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/?p=11926"},"modified":"2025-04-01T00:52:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T07:52:01","slug":"january-car-of-the-month-volkswagen-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/gearheads\/january-car-of-the-month-volkswagen-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"January car of the month: Volkswagen Thing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s all about smiles per mile<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a vehicle that makes a lot of \u201cugliest cars in history\u201d lists. The Volkswagen Thing does not present an elegant image, it\u2019s true, but its chunky design emanates an undeniable charm that makes us thankful for its strange existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Volkswagen Type 181, as it was called internally, was originally commissioned by the Third Reich to serve as a German Jeep of sorts. It was produced for military use through the \u201850s and \u201860s (most went to NATO forces) until it launched for retail in 1969; consumer 181s were manufactured in Mexico, where it was called the \u201cSafari.\u201d It was sold as the \u201cTrekker\u201d in Europe, and the \u201cThing\u201d in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though some don\u2019t like it, \u201cThing\u201d is the perfect name for this vehicle. It\u2019s simple and wacky and the exact opposite of pretentious. It\u2019s a car that\u2019s impossible not to notice on the street, something that puts a grin on your face even if you have no idea what it is. It\u2019s an absurd and fun piece of automotive history, which is why this 1973 Volkswagen Thing is our car of the month for January 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

This green Thing resides in sunny Venice, California, and belongs to Turo host Cory S.<\/a> \u201cI didn\u2019t really know what I was going to do with it, I just thought it was too cool to pass up,\u201d Cory says about first coming across the Thing for sale. \u201cIt happened so fast, I started looking into them and suddenly I had three.\u201d That\u2019s right, Cory has three Things \u2014 one green, one orange, and one blue, all available here on Turo. This one is his favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cory bought it from a guy whose girlfriend owned a flower shop called \u201cSafari Flowers.\u201d She used the Thing to pick up flowers from the LA flower market, and also to deliver bouquets to customers. So that\u2019s the story with the sweet graphics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Crazy California Cruiser<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Besides the flower shop paint, the car is completely original. And it is as simple as a car can get. The \u201cdashboard\u201d has one single gauge, which indicates the speed, fuel level, and mileage. The rear doors don\u2019t have locks. The windows are removable (they don\u2019t roll down), the doors are also removable, and the windshield folds down over the hood. There are no interior panels, just bare painted metal everywhere. They say that people who know what they\u2019re doing can take apart and reassemble a Thing in two hours. There isn\u2019t even a proper floor \u2014 the original removable wooden floor slats are a rare find nowadays, and have the perfect vibe for cruising around Venice Beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Behind the wheel\u2026 let\u2019s just say the Thing isn\u2019t winning any J.D. Power awards. Being a 40-something-year-old Volkswagen with no insulation or damping to speak of, it\u2019s got rattles and creaks and then some (though it\u2019s been nothing but reliable, Cory is happy to report). And it is slow. Like, slow<\/em>. The 1,584 cc engine comes from other Volkswagens of the era and its 46 horsepowers can apparently get the Thing up to 65 mph with enough road. Oh and the factory-claimed zero-to-60 time is 23 seconds. Which, at that point, why even bother timing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But its slowness is its best (maybe only) safety feature. The Thing was classified as a \u201cmultipurpose vehicle\u201d when it came to the States, which freed it from the tighter safety restrictions applied to passenger cars. In 1975, the Thing fell victim to Ralph Nader and his favorite hobby of destroying fun and interesting cars, when it was reclassified according to Nader\u2019s new safety regulations and discontinued in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s a bummer, because the Thing is a joyous vehicle. What it lacks in amenities and comfort and performance, it easily makes up for with sheer entertainment. Everyone loves it. If you\u2019re judging your driving experience by smiles-per-mile, there might be nothing that can beat this quirky, colorful beach buggy. When you book any of Cory\u2019s Things, be prepared to receive a steady flow of waves, honks, and compliments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cModern cars are so polished and overbuilt that they leave you feeling disconnected,\u201d Cory says. \u201cThe simplicity of this car really takes you back to its time, and it\u2019s something you get attached to.\u201d If that sounds as wonderful to you as it does to us, take the Thing for a spin and see if it doesn\u2019t put a smile on your face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s all about smiles per mile Here\u2019s a vehicle that makes a lot of \u201cugliest cars in history\u201d lists. The Volkswagen Thing does not present an elegant image, it\u2019s true,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":11930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[79],"class_list":["post-11926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gearheads","tag-car-of-the-month"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t