Department S – ’64 Notchback

When Volkswagen introduced the Type 3 in February 1961, it was aimed at a different target audience than the Beetle, being pitched at those who needed a bigger car with more luggage carrying capacity. The Type 3 range included the Saloon and Karmann Ghia. The following year, the Variant or Squareback estate was added to the range. In August 1965, a fourth body style, the sporty-looking Fastback, was released.
Although the VW 1500 shared many basic components with the Beetle, it was more advanced in areas such as the front suspension. The Beetle had always relied on separate torsion leaves running through the front beam; the Type 3 had a torsion bar in the lower tube and an anti-roll bar in the upper tube that tied in the upper trailing arms. Anyone who has driven a Beetle and Type 3 will tell you which gives the better ride quality!
To give the Type 3 more luggage carrying capacity, the air-cooled flat-four engine was reworked to dispense with the upright fan system used in the Beetle. Instead, the fan was added to the front of the engine, which kept the height of the engine basically level, hence the engine picked up the nicknames Suitcase and Pancake.
Initially, the VW 1500 came with a 45bhp 1493cc engine with single side-draft Solex carb. 1493cc engines would later become standard in the Type 2 and, later still, in 1967, in the Beetle.
Having the pancake motor meant the Type 3 had a luggage boot above the engine. But having a rear engine meant it also had a ‘boot' at the front - a great selling point, especially as it also had plenty of room in the cabin. There was no doubt about it, the new Type 3 VW was a very well packaged car that found favour with many owners new to the marque, alongside many already loyal customers who had owned and outgrown Beetles but enjoyed the reliability and low running costs of a Volkswagen and, let's not forget, the great service and parts back-up provided by the company.

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

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