Paralleling the development of the Beetle/Type 14 Karmann Ghia cousins, VW had Carrozeria Ghia draw up designs for a sporty Type III. For more details on model-year changes, see the Special Features section. In 1965, VW added the Fastback (1600TL) to the 1966 model year line up and the new 1600cc engine became available for the existing models.
Many of the Notchback sedans that can be found in the U.S.
dealer network and the hefty price tag for the cars themselves that delayed their official release in the U.S.
It was a combination of the enormous expense of supplying and training the vast U.S. shores before their official intro, but VW of America wasn't equipped to service them until late 1965. (Tell that to my friend Wally Izumi back home in California, who bought a '64 Notch brand new from a VW dealer.!) A number of grey-market 1500s found their way to U.S. until late 1965, and the 1500 Sedan (Notchback) was never officially imported to the U.S. Interestingly, the Type III wasn't officially introduced to the U.S. (The state of Georgia called Graham T.'s squareback a "1969 VW Valiant SB," despite his complaining!) Furthermore, to avoid confusing the vehicle's identity with the Plymouth Valiant, VW marketed the vehicle as the Squareback Sedan in the U.S. The Variant looks to all the world like a station wagon (well, it is!), but VW was already calling one of its Type IIs a station wagon. The 1500 sedan was followed quickly by the 1500 Variant in early 1962. The white steering wheel was dropped in the production models, as was the chrome strip along the top edge of the door panels. Note the tape, wires and instrumentation strewn about the car. But were all of the rumors true? One publication, "Motor Trend," did get an early scoop on the new Volkswagen by catching an unmarked prototype undergoing testing in snow-covered Sweden in early 1961. What would the car really look like? Precious little technical information was released was the engine in the front or in the rear? What type of suspension was used? Rumors abounded about a 4-door model, and a flatter engine with a cooling fan mounted flat over the top of the engine as in a Corvair. Upon close inspection, it was evident that the photos had been retouched. These first photos created more questions than they answered. VW released photos to the press - along with the name "VW1500" - but little else. In early 1961, VW officially announced that a new model line was on the way. The August 1959 edition of "Sports Cars Illustrated" revealed: "Volkswagen is, according to well founded sources, going to build a car somewhat along the lines of the new A-40 in addition to the regular line of beetles and transporters." At the 1960 Geneva Auto Show, VW's official position was that there were no new designs in the works! Despite the secrecy, word of a "new" VW had been spreading. By the time 1960 drew to a close, prototypes had been extensively tested and VW began gearing up for production. It was there in hiding that the Type III was born in 1959.
Vw type 3 windows#
When one of the major buildings at the Wolfsburg factory was damaged due to fire in the late 1950s, the order came from VW's head honchos to keep the windows boarded up after repairs were made. Volkswagen's answer? The VW 1500, also known as the Type III. Especially in its home market, VW was beginning to feel competition from larger, more luxurious American imports. As the 1950s were coming to a close and Volkswagen was establishing itself as a world-class automaker, it became clear that it would need to introduce a new, larger car to supplement the Beetle, Transporter and Type I Karmann Ghia.
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