Production chronology1968–1983
Sourced production or model lifecycle range used by the main catalog timeline.
Wikipedia lead ↗16 years
← Volkswagen
Volkswagen / Model record
Volkswagen181
Production1968–1983
Recorded originGermany
ClassSupermini
Also known asVolkswagen Pescaccia · Volkswagen Thing · Volkswagen Trekker · Volkswagen Type 181 "Kurierwagen"
Background
The Volkswagen Type 181 is a two-wheel drive, four-door convertible, manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen from 1968 until 1983. Originally developed for the West German Army as a successor to the 1956 Auto Union two-stroke–engined DKW Munga, the Type 181 also entered the civilian market as the Kurierwagen in West Germany, the Trekker in the United Kingdom, the Thing in the United States and Canada (1973–74), the Safari in Mexico and South America, and Pescaccia in Italy. Civilian sales ended after model year 1980.
Text adapted from “Volkswagen Type 181” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07
Chronology ledger
Dates with their meaning intact
Netherlands RDW first-admission observations1967–1977
First-admission years observed in Dutch vehicle registrations; this is market evidence, not a worldwide production range.
Netherlands RDW ↗11 years