This next triple feature comes as tip from Zach Z who writes; Which runt would you pick the of this ~$4k, early '70s ragtop litter? We've got a 1975 MG Midget, a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle Ragtop, and a 1973 Mercedes-Benz 450SL (that comes with a parts car).
I was watching some sort of big box streaming service on the tele the other day (how much longer can we go without live sports or a new season of the Grand Tour...?!?!?) and I stumbled upon a little gem starring the short guy from Top Gear -- a show called Richard Hammond's Big. Many of the episodes are about the little funny man exploring big dams and super turbines, but in one episode he visits the world's largest car factory in the town of Wolfsburg, Germany. The Volkswagen plant punches out millions of peoples cars each year, but this next car was built in Mexico...wait...I thought the Wolfsburg Edition Jettas were made in Germany? Nope...vin starts with a 3..this is a NAFTA baby, but that doesn't mean you won't get mobbed at the next Cars & Covers(face) event because it has a manual gearbox and low miles for the age. Find this 1998 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 Wolfsburg Ed offered for $5900 in Burbank, CA via craigslist.
This next car comes as a tip from SecondMouse who writes: For some automobile enthusiasts, there is a special interest in sporting wagons. That interest often grows if we are talking about German cars, and it goes up a bunch if the vehicle in question is a honest-to-goodness manual transmission. Here is one that might tick all the boxes for those so inclined - a 2004 v6 Passat wagon with low mileage and manual transmission, available at the modest price of $2500 in Houston. Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat offered for $2500 in Houston, TX via craigslist.
This next car comes as a tip from Kester who writes: On my shortlist of possible VW Eurovans. Ohhh...zing! Hacking 3 feet of length out of your van sorta defeats the purpose of having a van in the first place...but given the choice betwix this and a Smart Car...I'd drive this short bus. Handling will be sketchier than the time I replaced my steering coupler with slinky, but the muppet skin seat covers will absorb any pooh that might leak out when you change lanes on the highway. Find this 1993 Volkswagen Eurovan offered for $1200 in St. Cloud, MN via craigslist.
Everybody loves fast cars. Right? And what could be faster than a land speed world record holder? Well...in the case of this next car...just about anything you will find on your street is faster. But to go 100 miles per hour with 36 horsepower is indeed a feat worth acknowledging. Find this 1968 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia offered for $7900 in Dewey, AZ via craigslist.
The MarkII Volkswagen Golf (1985-1992) was offered in a variety of trims, starting with the lowly base, and continuing up in equipment to the C, CL, GL, GT and finally the GTI trim. Prices for the super sporty and hip GTI model are high, but you can get into a Mk II GT for pennies and it'll offer a almost the same of shhhportiness from the GTI's fuel injected 1.8liter 8V watercooled engine and a 5-speed manual box. Today's example has some serious digits in the odometer...but there was a time when VW's basic economy car were reliable and rugged. Find this 1987 Volkswagen Golf GT offered for $2600 in Tarzana, CA via craigslist.
The Passat has been Volkswagen's large family sedan option for many years and it is typically been based on a platform shared with the Golf and built in Mexico, but the B5 generation Volkswagen Passat was built on a Germany built platform shared with the Audi A4/A6 from 1997 through 2005. This means that it used a longitudinal front-drive (and optional 4motion all-wheel-drive) setup and could be had with a number of engines, including a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder turbo, a 2.8 liter V6 and a 4 liter W8. In an odd twist of things, the 1.8T 4-cylinder engine (chipped to 200 hp) and mated to a 5-speed with front-drive is actually the most fun to drive out of the powertrain options...and today's example comes slightly lowered and fitted with wheels from an C4 generation Audi UrS6. Just make sure the seller has used synthetic oil and drive it for another 100k miles. Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T offered for $2300 in Fremont, CA via craigslist.
If you want a color that'll make any car look happy -- this is it. Lime green. It is no small coincidence that the color of a mint mojito looks good on a car that would be perfect for a summer drive to your local beach spot. Who's ready for summer?!? Find this 1979 Bradley GT offered for $4500 in Tucson, AZ via craigslist.
Another day, another hideous Poorch 917 replica...I know what yer thinkin. You're thinking that the guys at DailyTurismo are hitting the bourbon early these days. No, not yet...the coronavirus drinking games are still mostly done after 5 o'clock...but what I can tell you is that I'd love the idea of driving something with a ludicrous driving position that only cost me a few thousand smackeroos, a few weekends of wrenching, and one divorce. Imagine the feeling of hitting the throttle as the sweat pours down your brow...and that's only in regular traffic...because no AC and no windows are gonna make this thing amazing in the summer...but the primary reason we are featuring this car is because it used to be a flame throwing hovercraft batmobile. Yup...it appears that the next owner removed the flamethrower, taser hood oranment, and 110V generator + AC unit and tried to get it back to basics. Find this 1964 Volkswagen Beetle Porsche 917 Kit offered for $3200 in Scottsdale, AZ via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
Welcome to Daily Turismo's Syncro de Mayo, our May 5th celebration of Volkswagen's four wheel drive system known as Syncro. Those pop-top Westfalia camper things used to be cheap and easy to run on a budget, but some kind of nostalgic hypnosis has convinced people they are worth somewhat more than scrap value, and you'll find people asking insane amounts for these small Syncro equipped campers. However, DT's tippers are good at finding the diamonds in the rough like this next thing. Find this 1980ish Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia offered for $11,000 in Port Orchard, WA via facebash marketface. Tip from Zach Z.
Welcome to Daily Turismo's Syncro de Mayo, our May 5th celebration of Volkswagen's four wheel drive system known as Syncro. Today's first entry into our symphony of synchronicity might not have used the Syncro name in its advertising literature, but the R32 Golf MkIV puts power from its VR6 engine into a haldex controlled center diff that'll put power to the rear wheels when needed. It still maintains a certain degree front front-wheel-drive understeer, but judicious application of the throttle pedal will make the little boxy shaped Golf turn and squat like a Weimaraner in heat. Find this 2004 Volkswagen R32 here on eBay offered for $12,995 buy-it-now or make-offer located in Mesa, AZ.
Why have I been featuring so many kit cars these days? Is wanting to drive a home built car that looks like a crappy version of something awesome a lesser known symptom of coronavirus? I thought I was coughing from the fumes from this leaky Volkswagen engine, but maybe its the COVID?? Is it social distancing if I leave a big gap in traffic because I'm uncertain the brakes are gonna work on the first pump? Find this 1969 Porsche 917 Kit Car offered for $13,999 in Encino, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
What was sold here new in the United States as the Volkswagen EuroVan was actually the 4th generation of the Transporter / Type 2 / Bus / Kombi / etc. The EuroVan was the first of the bread loaf VW vans to have its engine and drive wheels up front, finally ditching the rear/rear setup of old and the rackity-clackity air cooled engines that typified the VeeDub Van experience. Today's example is one of the cheapest asking prices I've seen for a EuroVan and makes me want to put on my hazmat suit and take a trip to New York. Find this 1993 Volkswagen Eurovan offered for $3600 in Paramus, NY via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
Most cars have a bell shaped popularity curve, but have you ever noticed that some cars have almost a step function of popularity -- one minute they are all over the road and then suddenly they all just up and vanish. This seems to have been the case for the legendary Volkswagen Mk 3.5 Cabrio -- which was styled to look like the Mk IV Golf (97-05), but used mechanical bits from the older Mk 3 Golf (91-98). Maybe that's why they dropped off the face of the earth...15 year old parts when they were brand new...regardless, you don't see them very often and you certainly don't see them in this nice condition. Find this 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio offered for $2500 in Houston, TX via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.
If you causally mention you have a Volkswagen Caddy, a normal person would assume you had some sort of golf sponsorship...but a not-so-normal person will ohh and ahh for they know how special VW's front-drive water-cooled leisure activity vehicle (LAV...not kidding...that's an actual marketing term). When I saw the pictures, I was surprised to see snow in Oregon in mid April...until I scrolled down a bit to find the car is located in Alberta, but offered in US dollars on 'Murican ebay. Find this 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Caddy here on eBay bidding for $4,150 in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada with a few hours to go. Tip from Jim.
The next vehicle falls into the classic category of the love/hate or love-to-hate cars...and I'm not entirely sure how to react. It appears that someone has taken the rear end of a Beetle and put it on the front...or maybe just moved the frunk at such an angle as to LOOK like the rear...and then it is El Camino'd at the back...I just am totally unsure what to make of this thing. Hideous or hideously awesome? Find this 1970 Volkswagen Beetle here on eBay bidding for $9,921 reserve-not-met in Beach Haven, NJ with 4 days to go.
Up until the 1990s Brazil (the world's fifth largest country by population and geography) did not allow imported automobiles -- and as a result, major OEMs around the world set up local manufacturing centers. In the beginning, the local plants built vehicles designed and engineered from the parent company's home country, but eventually the locals starting building unique vehicles, particularly Volkswagen of Brazil. The SP2 was built on the Type 3 chassis from 1972 through 1976, during which time VW do Brasil assembled about 10,000 of the sporty looking coupes. The lack of sales was blamed on the poor performance of the steel bodied SP2 and the nickname Sem Potência (Portuguese for without power) became common. This next one looks good at first glance...but the seller mentions something about "full rust beyond layers and layers of bondo" ...errrr...tread carefully. Find this 1973 Volkswagen SP2 offered for $10,000 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Tip from Rock On!