It seemed that Volkswagen was undergoing a bit of an identity crisis in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With the perennial Beetle getting a bit long in the tooth, VW was seeking a way to go from strength to strength in the sales race with a new model. How to go about that, however, was anything but clear. The Type 4, or 411 as it was known, was VW’s largest passenger car so far, available in a two or four door form with a fastback style or as a 3-door Variant. Just over 100,000 of these 411s were sold in a four year span in the US. That’s far from a sales flop but pales in comparison to the almighty Beetle. By 1974, the Passat, or Dasher as it was known in the US, would arrive on the scene and thus would begin the slow march towards the end of air-cooled engine production.
It’s rare to spot a 411 on the roads these days in any kind of condition, but this one for sale in New Hampshire has escaped the ravages of New England winters and Father Time. Rarely do you see one this good come up for sale.