If you’re into the whole ultra cool hot-rod scene, or hanker after the ultimate classic Dub ‘sleeper’ then we’ve found the perfect vehicle…

It’s a V8 engined Variant – or Squareback, as they call it Stateside. Ignoring the slightly bizarre elongated bulge in the bonnet, while it might look like a stock 1969 estate it’s actually based on a custom made tubular chassis and the only original bit is the shell…

Power – and we imagine there’s lots of it – is courtesy of a 350 Chevrolet V8 block attached to an automatic transmission with overdrive. The front end suspension and power assisted rack and pinion steering setup is borrowed from a Mustang II, while a narrowed 9in Ford triangulated four-bar features at the rear end. As scene cred goes, it’s definitely right up there. There’s servo discs up front but drums out back, so we’re not entirely convinced that it stops quite as quick as it goes!

There’s no back seats by the look of it and the dash has been stripped of its fatigued plastic cover and colour coded to the exterior hue instead. We’re pretty sure the front pews aren’t original, but they look pretty comfortable all the same.

The mean and moody classic estate was built about four years ago having apparently sat in the garage of its original builder for the previous 16 years before he decided to do something a bit ‘radical’. Judging by the amount of fabrication and the technical challenges that have been overcome, he was obviously a pretty clever chap. From the build pictures the original bodywork looks pretty sound, although we have to say we prefer the original colour to the current beige paint.

The V8 VW Variant recently came up for auction on eBay in the US. Despite the fact that bids finally reached $9,410, it failed to meet its reserve – so if you’re interested in a swift family wagon with a difference you might get lucky…

Ian

The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of VW Heritage.