From the archive of Auto Motor Klassiek we got these pictures of the Volkswagen 1600 Variant. We once published an article about it in Auto Motor Klassiek number 2 of 2018.
Look at the Volkswagen 1600 Variant and you will be confused. The doors and the typical curves are familiar to the retina, when you know the German version, but the nose seems to stem directly from a 412 - which is not the case! - and the back looks Peugeot-like. “When I thought of those lamps, I thought of the Lada Niva,” says Van Gils, the owner of this car.
Compared to 'our' Type 3, Volkswagen do Brasil took a drastic turn and did so for the first time in 1968 with its own sedan, which did not win over such a large audience.
All the more reason to serve it after two years and to offer the audience an attractive three- and five-door Fastback, which the 1969 Variant launched to keep company.
Until 1976 and 1977 respectively, the manufacturer scored quite well, despite the dull concept. In pea soup green with a cabin in white skai, the 1600 Variant certainly draws attention to itself and to be honest, the designers in distant Brazil knew how to create a harmonious whole, including a stylish dashboard.
The elongated back makes it an undisputed space wonder, which the European Type 3 simply cannot match. Driving technique, the Brazilian behaves almost identically to his cousin, with the same smooth performance and moderate road holding, which makes the weightless nose stand out. It's called charm.
Enjoy the pictures. What do you think of the Volkswagen 1600 Variant? Beautiful or not beautiful?
Feast of recognition !! My father had a 412 Variant. Boat behind it, dog in it and the four of us to Posadarja, which was then still in Yugoslavia.
If I am correct, this 62-65-UX was followed by a 504 break with steering gear.
Head this one too, just like the 411/412 built in a parking heater with such an almost completely capped exhaust? Not visible in the photo
There is not even a stove at all, because that does not seem to be necessary there.
It seems a bit of a hodgepodge of parts, in contrast to the somewhat shorter VW Brasilia from about the same time, of which we had one in Curaçao in the late seventies. Kind of the same nose and same engine. I thought that was, and I still think it was a sleek little car.