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Tag: Dasher

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1980 Volkswagen Dasher 2-Door Hatchback

In the early 1970s, a major change swept through Volkswagen. For some time, Volkswagen attempted to create unique ways to fit more people into a Beetle. The Type 3 abandoned the Beetle’s 2-door, fixed sloping roof profile for a (slightly) more conventional sedan, fastback and even variant wagon platform. That developed ultimately into the Type 4; the 411 and 412 again further moved VW “mainstream” with their Pininfarina bodies and more practical 4-door layouts.

Still, the writing was on the wall. Corporate partner Audi’s launch of the B1 chassis 80 model complete revolutionized both marque’s lineups over the next decade as rear-engine, air-cooled products were phased out and steadily replaced by new front-drive, water-cooled efficient and cheap to manufacture designs. The Audi 80’s design was refined by Giugiaro, so VW turned again to him to work his magic on the 412’s replacement.

What emerged after brief flirtation with the NSU-based K70 was the Passat. Unlike the traditional sedan that Audi got with the 80, the B1 Passat featured a dramatically sloping rear hatchback which picked up styling cues from both the Type 3 and Type 4, but of course was much more angular. Volkswagen offered three configurations for the first Passat; 3- and 5-door hatchbacks, and a 5-door variant wagon. These were introduced before the A1 Golf debuted in the U.S., and like the Golf, the Passat was given a North America specific name – the Dasher:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Volkswagen Dasher Coupe on Orange County Craigslist

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1979 Volkswagen Dasher Hatchback

Like the Scirocco duo from earlier this week, Volkswagen’s “large” chassis has become an obscure name long gone from these shores. The Dasher premiered VW’s use of the shared B1 platform. Marketed in the rest of the world as the Passat (a name, like the Scirocco, for a type of wind), Volkswagen opted to use a name closer to its stablemate Rabbit and came up with “Dasher”. From 1974 through 1981, the B1 laid the foundation for larger watercooled Volkswagens in three configurations; two-door hatchback, four-door hatchback and wagon. Also like the Scirocco, the design came from Giogetto Giugiaro and was forward-thinking. Power came from the EA827 derivatives, with a relative modest 1.6 inline-4 gas motor and later diesel options available. In 1978, the B1 was refreshed and gained quad-round headlights and other light revisions, visually matching the Scirocco lineup a bit more. They’re obscure and relatively rare to see at all these days, but this survivor has popped up on eBay in a no reserve auction:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1979 Volkswagen Dasher Hatchback on eBay

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1978 Volkswagen Dasher Wagon with 23k miles – REVISIT

$_57 (1)

The low mileage, mint condition Volkswagen Dasher Wagon we featured for a second time in November of last year has reappeared once again. They don’t get any better than this, so if you want to help clear your mind of recent emission scandal and reminisce about the good old days, this would be a good VW in which to do it.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Volkswagen Dasher Wagon on eBay

The below post originally appeared on our site January 2, 2014:

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1978 Volkswagen Dasher Hatchback

The Volkswagen Passat [née Quantum (née Dasher)] has always been a bit of the odd-man out in the Volkswagen lineup, but each successive generation has offered something special – even in the U.S.. As Paul wrote up last week, in the B7 you could get a TDi manual – something of an oddity in the marketplace last year, as automatic whirring hybrids have ruled the minds and pocketbooks of middle management for the last decade. The B6 had a fantastic hidden gem in the 3.6 4Motion; an unappreciated car in general but perhaps the car Audi should have built. The B5? It was the car that finally made the Passat successful in the U.S., and introduced the cool if too complicated W8 4motion package. The B3/4 had the you-can’t-kill-it-unless-it-rusts 1Z diesel and sonorous VR6 motors. The B2’s trump card over the Audi 4000 it closely resembled was the Syncro Wagon. And the B1? Well, if you wanted a 4-door Volkswagen hatchbach that was a bit more substantial than the Rabbit on offer, briefly your wish could come true:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Volkswagen Dasher on eBay

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Kermit’s Other Car: 1980 Volkswagen Dasher Diesel Wagon

In a strange twist of fate I promise was not entirely planned, we are heading from probably the most expensive and complicated Passat to the other end of the spectrum – the spiritual great-great Grandfather in this 1980 Dasher Diesel Wagon. A few weeks ago, I took a look at a very green 1980 5000 and suggested that it might be Kermit’s commuter. But if Kermit was a family man, something like this Volkswagen might have been the choice he’d make in 1980. The Dasher Diesel wasn’t sporty; you could read a Dan Brown novel in the time it would take you to leave a light and hit 60 miles per and hour at full chat. But it would get over 40 miles per a gallon and if properly (and sometimes improperly) maintained, these diesels are still clacking like new today. However, like the Passat W8, the Dasher falls into a strange gray area of lack of enthusiasm. For every other 1980 Volkswagen model you can find large groups of fans, but the Dasher – despite its unique three different configurations at that time – can’t find much love these days. Like the Audi 5000 from the other day, can this Onyx Green Metallic with matching green velour find a frog fanatic?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Volkswagen Dasher Diesel Wagon on eBay

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