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The Volkswagen Type 181 "Kurierwagen", popularly known in the United States as the Thing, in Mexico as the Safari and in the United Kingdom as the Trekker, was a small military vehicle produced by Volkswagen from 1969 to 1983, although civilian sales stopped in 1980. It was based in part on Volkswagen's Beetle Type I and was an evolution of the Kübelwagen, which had been used by the German military during World War II. The models sold new in America from 1972-1974. The name literally means "courier wagon".

Volkswagen Type 181
Manufacturer	Volkswagen AG
Production	1969 – 1980 for civilian use, through 1983 for Military use
Predecessor	Volkswagen Kübelwagen
Successor	Volkswagen Iltis
Class	Military vehicle, Compact car
Body style(s)	4-door coupe 4-door cabriolet
Layout	Rear engined
Engine(s)	1.6L H4

A 1974 "Acapulco" Thing

During the 1960s, several European governments began cooperating on development of a vehicle known as the Europa Jeep, a lightweight, amphibious four wheel drive vehicle that could be mass produced for use by various national military and government groups. Development of the vehicle proved time consuming, however, and the German government was in need of a limited number of light, inexpensive, durable transport vehicles that could fulfill their basic needs while the Europa Jeep was being developed and put into production.

Although Volkswagen had been approached during the 1950s about building such a vehicle and had subsequently passed on the proposition, the then-current management of the company saw the project as having some amount of potential as a consumer vehicle; Mexican customers were asking for something that could better handle rural roads than the Beetle, which was a large seller in Mexico at the time, and the popularity of VW based dune buggies within the U.S. made executives think that a durable, fun, off-road capable vehicle would become attractive to many buyers. VW could keep cost to a minimum and thus maximize profitability by using existing parts.

Like the World War II era Type 82 Kübelwagen, the Type 181 used mechanicals and a rear-engined platform derived from that of the Type I Beetle. The floorpans came from the Karmann Ghia, which itself was based on the Type I, and reduction gearing from the VW Bus was used through 1973 when platform upgrades eliminated that setup in favor of revised parts.

Civilian sales began in Europe and Mexico during 1971 and in the U.S. in 1973, but the model was dropped from the American lineup in 1974 after it failed to meet stricter new safety standards (Type 181s were classed as passenger vehicles, not light trucks as with the case of the modern-day Chrysler PT Cruiser). By 1976 the Europa Jeep project had fallen apart completely and was abandoned, and the German government began supplementing their consumption of 181's with the new front-engined Type 183 Iltis, which featured four-wheel-drive.

Despite the German government's switch to the Type 183, European and Mexican sales of the civilian 181 continued through 1980, and several organizations including NATO continued to purchase military-spec units through 1983, finding their reliability and low purchase and maintenance costs attractive.

Several region specific variants of the 181 were produced during the vehicles lifetime, including an Acapulco Thing, originally designed for the Las Brisas Hotel in Acapulco. Running boards, special upholstery and paint schemes, and a surrey top were standard features. The Acapulcos are most easily identified by their striped paint scheme and were offered in orange and white, yellow and white, green and white, and blue and white.

The '182' was the name given to the '181' in right hand drive form.

The 181 has become something of a cult classic, due in no small measure to their funky angular styling, which leaves no question as to its strictly utilitarian purpose. The doors are removable without tools and the windshields fold down (like a Jeep). The interior is a perfect illustration of form following function, and its painted steel door panels and split, flat bench seats look appropriately post-modern, industrial chic today. Prices range from $3000 USD for restorable units to upwards of $15,000 for nicely restored examples. In early 2007 four 181 "Things" sold at the Barrett-Jackson auto auction for well over $20k each, with one 1973 example selling for $42,560 USD.^[1].

1. ^ Barrett-Jackson 2007 auction results

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Volkswagen Type 181

• Schreier, Konrad F. Jr., ed. VW Kubelwagen Military Portfolio 1940-1990. ISBN 1-85520-218-2
• FAQs from The Thing Shop
• 181 facts and figures
• (french) website about the Type 181