- Volkswagen's Type 3 Squareback was a practical choice back in the day, and the years have only increased the appeal.
- This example is finished in an eye-catching orange and is well set up as a driver.
- With a folding rear bench seat, the VW is flexible enough to turn the grocery run into a time-traveling trip back to the Seventies.
The Volkswagen Beetle and Microbus are such outsized automotive cultural icons that they tend to overshadow the other air-cooled cars VW was selling at the time. But for many people buying a new Volkswagen wasn't about something cute or camping-friendly, but just a practical vehicle that didn't cost too much to buy or run. Something like, say, a handy little two door wagon the color of a Florida orange.
This citrus-hued 1972 Volkswagen Type 3 Squareback up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos), is a perfect example. Eminently pragmatic with that sensible wagon layout and fold-flat rear seats, it is nonetheless utterly charming and friendly. No wonder Volkswagen sales were so strong into the early 1970s. Who wouldn't want to own a car that looks like something Richard Scarry would draw?
This car is a BaT alumnus, and the current seller notes that it has been essentially trouble-free over the past five years. Only the clock seems to regularly go on the fritz, but in a vehicle that's part time machine, that's not a big deal.
Power is provided by a 1584cc air-cooled flat four, which, if you close your eyes, you can probably already hear. The engine is running on twin carburetors rather than the Bosch factory fuel injection (the latter known to be sometimes unreliable), and it gets its modest amount of horsepower to the ground through a four-speed manual.
The interior is a businesslike black vinyl, bucket seats up front and a bench in the rear. Bells and whistles are fairly minimal, which just represents an opportunity to teach your children about roll up windows and walking uphill both ways to and from school.
There's a fresh battery, new tires on those 15-inch wheels, and a new blower and fan switch for chilly mornings. Other than that, this little VeeDub is ready to roll with all the cheery and faithful character it had when new. It's not as obvious a choice for the VW fan as a Bug or Bus, but that just makes it sweeter.
The auction ends on April 24.
Brendan McAleer
Contributing Editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
