Cars of Coolhaven

What is it with cars, that when you spot something nice, chances are you will spot a similar car in the very near future? This happened with the Matra Murena, the R8, some Rolls Royces… and now with this funny little VW 1500. Soo…. a double post!

Volkswagen intended this car to be the more luxurious car that the Beetle, while being more of a family car than the Karmann Ghia (check here and here). Of course the Splittie Van complemented the range…

The Type 3 was initially equipped with a 1493 cc engine based on the air-cooled flat-4 found in the Beetle. While the long block remained the same as the Beetle, the engine cooling was drastically changed to allow for a much lower engine profile. This resulted in increased area for cargo stowage with the so-called “Pancake” or “Suitcase” engine. This engine’s displacement would later increase to 1.6 L (1585 cc). The Type 3 often caused amusement to the uninitiated because its engine was hidden away under the rear trunk space in all three variants: the Notchback, Squareback and Fastback. The placement of the engine under the rear trunk of the Type 3 was highlighted in a famous American television commercial for Volkswagen in the 1960′s that shows a very young Dustin Hoffman showing the interior of the Fastback model and explaining the car’s technical features. After showing the trunk up front, he opens the rear hood to reveal another trunk. Hoffman, looking befuddled as to the location of the engine, walks away, and the commercial closes with a title reading, “Your VW dealer will show you where the motor is.” (From Wikipedia)