Isn’t it ironic – Type 3 panel van

Anybody who doubts the value and importance of VWs in the classic car marketplace needs to read the following. We're fed up with having to justify our VW interest to some people, half of whom claim to be car people as well! Bob Molinar's Type 3 Van is a case in point - imagine the VW dealer scene in 1969, we're in Norway and this Type 3 panel was a rare-spec model back then. Part estate car, part workhorse, it filled a gap that few people even had in their life. We can't pin down any definitive manufacturer numbers, but needless to say, they are seriously rare these days. Primarily made for the Scandinavian and Australasian markets, the Squareback shape really lends itself to being panelled.
Moving on 40 years and the decades have seen the model rise up to be cherished, and the story that's led to this gorgeous examples' current home is fascinating. Often the most unloved models become the most sought after, and Bob Molinar's is now highly desirable thanks to a chain of owners including some of the best known names on the scene.
We'll start with the Type 3 and then have a chat with Bob about his role in its transformation. The story starts closer to home than you might expect. The car was originally found in Norway by Morten Brattas. It was then brought to the UK with another Type 3 Van by Paul Medhurst from Type 3 Detectives. Paul carried out some remedial work to the already solid body and added a T3D logo on the side as quite obviously it made a perfect rolling advertisement for his business. If you've been around the scene for a while, you might agree with Paul and Ivan that this was just over 10 years ago, when the car was kind of ratty looking around the edges, but solid where it counted.

For the full story on this car make sure you pick up a copy of the January 2010 issue of VolksWorld

SUBSCRIBE
Treat a loved-one or even yourself this Christmas with a subscription to VolksWorld magazine!

VW WALLPAPER
You can download a wallpaper from this feature for your computers desktop in our VW Wallpaper section.