What were the key ingredients that really defined the new cars of the 1980s: Compact. Front wheel drive, Diesel. Import brands. Four cylinders. Compact trucks and SUVs. Fuel efficient. Unibody. Innovative. Light weight. Got some more to add?
So what car best encapsulates all of them? Why it’s totally obvious: the VW Diesel Pickup. It encompasses them all, and then some. Like: A bridge too far. Cultish. Indestructible. Eugene-mobile. Fahrvergnügen. It was the ultimate automotive Swiss Army knife.
The other question is: What’s the only vehicle could replace all four of mine? You’re looking at it.
VW had opened their US factory in Westmoreland, PA, and were eager to be seen as more…American. Act 1 was the Malibuzation of the Rabbit, with American-style interiors and a bit of softening up of the edges. Bu that wasn’t enough; what’s the most American vehicle of them all? The pickup, of course. So…Why not?
How hard could it be? Graft a pickup bed and rear axle to the front half of a Rabbit, and Bingo! The VW Pickup was born. And with the 1.6 or 1.7 L gas engine, it could out accelerate an MGB, not much of a feat, given that the poor B was down to 62.5 hp at the time. But still. The VW pickup was to be the ideal marriage of a fun to drive little car with the practicality of a truck that could actually haul up to 1100 lbs.
If you favored economy over beating MGBs at the stop light drags, the diesel version had it in spades, or truckfuls. EPA rated at 41/54 mpg (city/highway), the 48 hp oil-burner might have been just a wee bit slower, but it wasn’t hard to meet or beat those EPA numbers. And by now, just about every old surviving VW Rabbit or pickup has had a later turbo-diesel implanted, giving it quite adequate grunt to do what needs to be done. And keep doing it for a long time.
If I’d been really lucky, this Rabbitomino would have been parked next to a jacked up Silverado HD pickup. Or actually, maybe under it, to stay dry. But it is parked next to a compact VW Tiguan, which is a direct descendent of the Golf, so these are kissing cousins, a few generations apart.
If the Niedermeyers had to drive VWs, these two would be just about perfect for Stephanie and I. For that matter, this VW pickup could readily replace both my xB and my F100; why am I paying insurance and upkeep on them both? And think of all the fuel I’ll save.
I couldn’t quite as much as with the F100, but then I’m not in quite as much of a hurry. I used to cram in thee yards of compost in the Ford (with side boards); now two will do. I could fit 1.5 yards in here. And appliances and garbage and some lumber and more.
For that matter, I could get rid of the Promaster van too. Check out this sweet little pop up slide-in camper. I could whittle my Eugene fleet down to just two from four. Maybe a matching VW Cabrio for Stephanie? Now what was I saying about not being in a hurry?
I just remembered, there was this very nicely done diesel camper that I found and shot way back in 2011, called the Veggie-bago” by its owner, since they ran it on used veggie oil. I saw it again just a few years ago. It’s a keeper.
Let’s not stop there. Jack it up a bit and put bigger tires on it and I could also get rid of the Chevy Tracker too, which I keep in Port Orford for bopping around the endless forest roads in the rugged mountains there. Who needs 4WD anyway?
It might be a wee bit cozy in there for me, but I’ve driven Rabbits and it worked well enough. Anyway, I’m conveniently shrinking. I was once 6’4″; last time I was at the doctor’s I was down to 6’2½”. One of the unsung benefits of aging.
The most memorable drive in a Rabbit one was in the winter of 1974-1975, when a friend in Baltimore bought one of the first ones off the boat, the ultra-stripper $2,999 version that had hardboard (cardboard?) door cards, rubber floors and only whatever else was absolutely essential for driving it. I was driving a ’63 VW 1200 at the time and was pretty excited to try this new Rabbit that I’d read so much about. So I took it for a full-blast spin (my friend was totally ok with that). Stepping out of that 40 hp slug bug into this Jack Rabbit was a multi-decade leap in automotive technology. Wow! Did it ever seem crazy fast to me. And handle like a racing car. I was utterly blown away. Such is the reality when car nuts (and automotive journalists) have their first drive in a really new car.
Don’t ask what issues he had with it, although it was a bit better than the ’71 Vega he traded in for it. The price of being an early adopter.
The Rabbit/Golf was one of the truly great new cars of the period, even if it had some birthing pains. And the pickup was a minor bit of genius. Of course it wasn’t appreciated by all stick-in-the-mud Americans; they insisted on proper trucks with frames and RWD, even if they were little. But some did, and still do today; these have a very solid following. And there were folks in other parts of the world who were eager to embrace it. The tooling was shipped to what was then Yugoslavia, and built there as the VW Caddy, the first in a long line. Who says Europeans don’t love American pickups?
And in South Africa, the VW Caddy was built all the way to 2007; here’s a 2006 for sale. Talk about long-lived.
The eighties weren’t all perfect when it comes to cars in America, but a lot of innovation and risk-taking took place. Think GM’s X-cars, and the K-cars, and all of those brilliant little Hondas, and others too. But when it comes to really stepping out of the box and attaching it to the rear, the VW Pickup takes the prize.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1980 Volkswagen Pickup – Beating The Tariff, But Taking A Beating
CC Capsule: VW Diesel Pickup (Caddy) Camper – The Veggie-Bago
Cohort Sighting: Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup “TDI” – Just Call Me Caddy
I’m just at 6 ft, and these are tight. The seat hits the back window before you can slide it as far back as the rails allow, so it’s much less comfortable than a regular rabbit. There is a plastic bubble window that they used in Europe somewhere, which gives a little more room to slide the seat back, haven’t tried that. I always loved the idea of grafting the front of a 2 door rabbit with its longer doors to the bed. It has been done, and should make a much more usable cab
Here you go!
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/san-pablo-sell-or-trdade-82-vw-caddy/7808466480.html
I’m sure a Bay Area CC’er will be happy to check it out for you. Maybe even deliver it 😀. I drove a (non-turbo) diesel Rabbit from Berkeley to Eugene in the early 80’s. It was a fun drive, though lane management to get around the few slower trucks in the mountains, then getting out of the way of faster cars, made the drive anything but leisurely.
Ironically enough, I just saw a Rabbit pickup last week, parked at a repair shop in Baltimore County, Md. I wasn’t able to get a picture, but just checked Google StreetView, and it’s in the same place, so the picture is below. Like your shot next to the Tiguan, it’s amazing how small these look surrounded by modern vehicles.
Back in 2018 (also in Baltimore County Eric 😉), I spotted this Harecamino whilst on my way home from work.
It looks as though it’s set up for rolling coal…
I drive a Chevy Luv diesel extensively, and it’s essential for taking trash to the dump, running all kinds of errands, and saving money on fuel. But for very long journeys, larger more comfortable vehicles are better so you’re not worn out from the trip
Saw so few of these .Even back in the day, they were few in #. The ones I do recall were generally, beige.
I always liked that “Subaru brat”, p/u. (and later, the “Justy”)
I like the ”Veggie-bago” with certainly its large pass-tru. It’s the only way that would allow me to drive with a modified seat rails quite behind the ‘B’ pillar. Here a conversion company smythkitcars for VW Jetta and Golf . https://www.smythkitcars.com/jetta-golf-ute
“Who says Europeans don’t love American pickups?”.
We love them. The problem is that to have one of them we must be millionaires, taking into account the high price of gasoline here.
Scandinavia is where you see pickups and large American cars the most.
$12 per gallon gas hasnt put people off US pickups here plenty have turned up used and are in use,
Even at 6’2″ these are a tight fit. I have driven this gen golf and the pickup the golf is way more comfortable (i’m 6’3″). That said I have always admired these. In particular the economy. When I lived in Maine a local fisherman (lobster and scallops) who was very much in pensioner age range drove one down to the docks every day and had a cap on it. The back was full of line and fish totes for his catch. seemed to work for him.
A few years later back in CT I took a job at a marina that was fairly spread out over a number of riverfront properties on two sides of a street. Us mechanics got shop trucks to cruise around in (now a days they are probably golf carts which is what I had at other marinas I worked at) mostly old work trucks that were too used up to leave the mile radius around the marina. We had a couple first gen Ford Rangers and S 10 and a couple bare-bones late eighties chevy pickups (reg cab short bed 2wd manual v6). Then there was the little diesel VW pickup in 80’s brown. Every one preferred the extra cab space in the other trucks so I got the VW while it was a fun little thing it really was very tight inside and the acceleration was impressively slow even thou I never brought it above 40 mph.
It would be nice to have a choice of buying a new compact pick up instead of the current big models. I think that they could be useful for a lot of people, but they haven’t sold as well as I would have expected. Currently there is the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, but they aren’t that small. As an older model, I liked the Dodge FWD Rampage, and the Explorer Sport Tracs. I need to use my truck as a work truck and the compromises of dealing with a five or six ft. bed would make me crazy over time. I hate having stuff sticking out of the bed.
I find your question of what vehicle could replace all of your current ones a very good one. Old/used/cheap car aficionados often end up with a collection of several inexpensive cars, as opposed to a single expensive new one. I think that would make a great Question Of The Day.
A nice survivor .
What I remember about A1 Diesels was the very short engine life, once you reached 60,000 miles the pin was pulled and you were on thin ice .
Both my elder brothers bought the first Diesel Rabbits available off the long lists, both had head gasket failures yet limped the cars along for years by simply adding tap water (!) whenever they needed to go anywhere .
Now I see the occasional Diesel Rabbit and it’ll have 400,000 miles on it by one or two loving owners .
-Nate
LKQ So. Cal. *just* got in a 1881 Rabbit pickup I don’t know if Diesel or not as it’s not really in my wheelhouse but if anyone needs parts go to LKQ dot com .
-Nate
I suspect VW didnt market those here, Ive never seen one but I like it,
My aunt bought one of these new and was very happy with it; after all these years I can’t recall when she sold it and what replaced it. I do recall that her son/my cousin got a ticket for going 75 in a 55 zone in it. He said he was going to frame the ticket to prove that it really would go that fast.
During the early 80’s I was Willie the service advisor at Moore Motors in Bellevue, Wa., the VW dealership. A prominent drug store owner owned a tan example and he loved it! He was a comical kind of guy that would brow beat you telling jokes. One day while dropping off the truck for service he said, “Willie, what a pickup! I can load it up with firewood and promptly get stuck on my front lawn!” God, I laughed so hard and will never forget the day he said that. A good memory.
and today I see an 82 diesel for sale in Woodland CA
Still see a few on the road in Portland Oregon. Take a look at this chart of Canadian trucks in service in 2010.