What happened to all the NATO Things?

[iThing]

hi everyone, new guy here!

Hope to get a Thing this summer. I've had several Beetles in the past so I'm using all your great posts to learn about the Thing and what to look for.
In my searching I read about a Thing military model made for the NATO. Apparently hundreds of thousands were made? What happened to all of them? Anyone here have one?

Thanks,
Robert

[Semper_Dad]

I think "hundreds of thousands" may be an overestimate. Just a little over 50,000 were made for NATO. Some were surplussed to fire and other civil defense organizations. Most if not all have since been replaced by the Iltis and Mercedes G-wagon. I've seen a few former military 181s in the US. Not many though.
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Walküre Restoration Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=737492

[77kafer]

Some of the NATO Type 181s were being sold in the mid 80s through a hunting and camping catalog in Germany. I called it the German equivalent of Cabala's. I wish I would have kept the catalog that I had, but I sold it at a show here in the NorthEast to a vendor several years ago.
There were 2 price points they were using, one guaranteed to pass TUV and one needing some work.
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Supposed to be 77käfer, but there are no umlauts on an american keyboard

Overheard on 27 June 07, one lady to another when they saw my Harli in a parking lot at West Point, "maybe he found it on the clearance aisle at the Volkswagen dealer"

[Doc*181]

There were only 90.000 type 181/Thing/Safari's made and this number includes the Mexican civilian production and the German military production figures.

There is no such a thing as a 'NATO Type 181' because NATO never ordered those vehicles. NATO is only a high military organistation level where army groups from different independent countries work together. So a 181 under NATO command, would be a car from the German Bundeswehr or the national armies from Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Greece... which are temporarely assigned under NATO (mostly only the time needed for doing a military field excercise where different countries took part in).


To give you a number: only 15.200 cars were Bundeswehr. For all the other European countries only a few hundred military versions were ordered. So out a pool of pool of appr. 16.000 cars, not much is left. Sold, skipped or donated to other countries as foreign aid.
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Thing stuff:
http://vw181.skynetblogs.be/

[kombijon]

heres a poor quality pic of my ex-NATO 181, it was bought direct from a NATO auction, there were tanks, personel craft, and all sorts of surplus stuff that was sold very cheaply!

it came with petrol heater, spare wheel fuel tank, all the black out cloths for windows and lights, bags for the side screens, gun holders, black out lights front and rear, fully enclosed and water proofed electrics, i'm sure theres stuff ive forgotten as well

[oorwullie]

my 72 was allegedly a NATO car but i've never bothered paying the $80 to the swiss records dept to get a list of all previous owners.

no gun holders or special equipment other than LSD gearbox and BN4 heater.

[iThing]

Not sure where I saw "hundreds of thousands" but thanks for the correction. That would explain they're relative scarcity.
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Therefore, I am.

[oorwullie]

i was talking rubbish about mine. it was supposedly a UNO car and not NATO.

[Nijyboy]

Mine is ex Bundeswehr.
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1969 ex Bundeswehr VW 181
1st year of production

[Bruce]

[oorwullie]

same reason i have a haiti plate on the bus in this picture.

[Bruce]

You rob banks and you like to confuse witnesses with your getaway vehicles?
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[Nijyboy]

I could think of faster less conspicious vehicles than those to a bank job in!
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1969 ex Bundeswehr VW 181
1st year of production

[oorwullie]