Here you can see the Type 4 prototypes lined up. It was interesting to see the little differences that didn't make it into production. Both Type 4s didn't have the strengthening rib in the middle of the floor at the very front for example.
This 1966 prototype has lots of differences from the production Type 4 but is clearly related. Volkswagen call it a 'Special 311' and it was intended to replace the Type 3, this design was stopped in favour of a transverse engined front wheel drive machine, which was in turn canceled in favour of a modified fastback Audi 80. The car in the pictures is fitted with an early Type 4 engine displacing 1493cc and producing 58PS.
The fuel tank is mounted in front of the rear suspension and the rear trailing arms do not have pick-up points for the rear anti-roll bar
The front suspension arms look very different! It's in pretty poor condition and as you can see, it's missing its front springs...
This is an technically interesting design that I think would have made a good little brother for the Type 4. It was to be known as the Volkswagen 191 and was designed by Porsche, Ferdinand Piech was in charge of the project whilst he was working there. It is fitted with a mid-mounted, watercooled, OHC, oversquare, inline 4. From what I have read, the first pre-production run of 50 vehicles had been produced when Rudolf Leiding took over as chairman of the VW board and scrapped the whole project in favour of the Golf. Volkswagen must have been hemorrhaging money at this point! The model pictured here is fitted with an 1588cc engine producing 80PS on carbs, there was also a fuel injected model developed that produced 105PS. The car weighs only 745kg!
Front suspension
Steering rack, it has a VW badge and the part number 191 415 107 cast into it.
Looking from the right rear. The engine is mounted longitudinally on its side with the radiator and fan mounted to the right of the sump.
Looking towards the rear from the left hand rear wheel. Here you can see the airbox, with the carburettor above it and the cam cover to the left of the picture. It has a diagonal trailing arm rear axle. The engine is sited under the rear seat; I can just imagine how difficult this car would be to work on and that airbox is incredibly exposed!
This is the ESVW 1 and was developed from the Type 4. It possibly shows us how the Type 4 might have developed if they had stuck with the concept.
The interior. There are 2 levers on the centre console, one for the automatic gearbox and another one marked brakes! No idea what that lever does! I can tell you the car was fitted with internally ventilated disc brakes all round, clamped by floating calipers and controlled by an ABS system!
This car was built in 1971, but the front suspension set up looks very similar to the Golfs! The steering is rack and pinion and automatically corrects for a sidewind!
It is fitted with a fuel injected 1.8 developing 100ps, the rear trailing arms are not the same as the Type 4's
I like the fire service 412
If you ever get to Wolfsburg, the Automuseum on Dieselstrasse is definitely well worth a visit. I wish they would have displayed a bit more information about the cars, the designers behind them and maybe some videos or pictures of testing and development of the cars. Autostadt is amazing for its architecture and the beautiful people working there, but I actually found it a little creepy as it all seems just a little too perfect with not a blade of grass out of place and the gravel raked into concentric circles!!! It reminded my friends and I of the film Gattaca! Other than that and the interesting cars in the ZeitHaus museum, it was just like an extravagant, shiny sales brochure for modern VW group cars and overall left us all feeling a little flat.
I guess I'll have to wait until my next visit. I also wanted a good look at the prototype 4-wheel drive Type 2 Westfalia that was built in the '70s, but it wasn't there either...
