1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup

I knew there must be something interesting in the area when I saw three motorcycles in the front yard in various states of assembly. Given it's current environment in deepest darkest Commercial Drive, this rare car is in pretty good shape.

One must wonder what Volkswagen executives were thinking when they decided to build a truck based on the Rabbit. Probably decided to build cars in the US at the same meeting. Seeing that long loadbed behind the econobox front is now a treat.

BTW 1778 is the address, not the year.

1961 Volkswagen Van

Post #100: 1957 Volkswagen Beetle

Owner said he had been looking for a car like it for 20 years.

Love the perfectly flat windshield, which tries to make up for it by having a continuously curved edge, drooping at the sides. The tiny wipers, the bulge around the headlights, the heavily blemished yet polished paint, the tiny turn indicators, the way the rear vents cup the small rear window (which matches the tiny rear view mirror), the peculiar mounting of the antenna, the artificial white rose next to the chrome radio grille. The roof and "A" pillars are a single stamped unit, and it extends all the way back to meet the engine cover, where the patina is revealed to be slightly different. The licence plate light could have come from a Fiat 500.

That Wolfsburg badge looks ceramic.

1991 Volkswagen Vanagon Carat

1991 Volkswagen Passat GL

Such a peculiar looking car -- no grille (though not strictly needed) plus a near Saab-like profile. A serious effort at aerodynamics with the flush headlights, rear wing, and rounding of every surface. A nice fine texture in the tail lights and plastic panel between them.

Love the curved slope of the front hood, the slight extrusion of the name stamped into the trunk lid, the shut-line of the rear door which merges with the fender, and how the aluminum wheels are exactly the same colour as the paint.

Next post will be something completely different.

1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Cabriolet

So good to see such an old Rabbit. It's unclear to me whether it has just been very gently used, or restored and driven normally.

While it may be of uncertain colour, I'm calling it red. It's definitely not the standard VW orange. Regardless, I love that paint, the glossy "eggshell" grain visible in the close-ups, the contrast with the black trim, and patch in front of the rear wheel-well. Wheels may be original -- would look great with the simple original chrome hubcaps. Aside from the few dents, looks incredibly straight.

1970 Volkswagen Beetle

1980 Volkswagen Jetta GL Turbo Diesel

Another fine bit of German engineering. Straight lines, rounded corners, a little chrome, a little awkward with the sloping hood in profile. Fairly glows against a dark background.