13 Dec Now this is cool
How about a 4-door Notchback! Never seen one here in the US but sure would like to get my hands on one of these VW Type 3 1600 L machines.
What we’re looking at is a 1969 Volkswagen 1600L, which looks vaguely like the Notchback model offered here in the 1960s. Of course, I said vaguely…because we didn’t get a four-door variant, nor did this styling come here. So what is this wonder? Well, it comes from Brazil, of course, and it underneath a Type 3 just like the Notchback. But the Brazilian version was styled by Márcio Piancastelli, who is probably best known for the designs of the neat Brasilia model and the even neater SP2. The 1600, though, was not a huge design success for him. Nicknamed “Zé do Caixão” – ‘Coffin Joe’, the sedan version would go on to only be sold for three model years before it was discontinued. It was the basis for a larger estate version though, as well as the quite neat Karmann Ghia TC. Notes from Carter
Year: 1969
Model: 1600L
Engine: 1.6 liter flat-4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
It looks almost Eastern European in a way, like a car that the Communist Bloc was trying hard with to convince its citizens that its air-cooled version was better than the West’s air-cooled version. But, the VW crowd is all about being a bit different, and this is that.
