With the legacy of T1 and T2
There is reason to believe that interest in the Volkswagen T3 will increase in the wake of the T1 and T2's popularity. Actually, it is built like the T2, all with the engines in the back. The first models even had air-cooled engines, but eventually they got water-cooled engines. Cars with air-cooled engines are becoming rare. Besides the sound of air-cooled engine, you can see that they only have one grill - only the top one. Water-cooled models got two grills. Today, the Volkswagen T3 is both vintage cars and classics. These are future collector cars. It remains to be seen whether they reach the same prices as T1 and T2.
Model history
The model was produced between 1979 and 1992. From January 1985, you could get cars with Syncro - Volkswagen's 4-wheel system with viscose coupling that engaged the front wheels when needed. From model year 1986 came a facelift. It included, among other things, new black plastic/rubber bumpers and rectangular headlights instead of round ones. Like its predecessor, the T3 was delivered in a number of variants as a van (Transporter) with and without side windows - and with and without rear seats (not in Norway), - as well as single and double cabin pickups. The T3 was also made in lavish – slightly more luxurious variants – such as the Caravelle and Multivan. From 1986 you could also get it with Syncro (4-wheel drive). Countless variants of the T3 were also made as camper vans. Besides Volkswagen's own Westfalia roof solution, there were companies almost all over the world that built and furnished the Transporter and Caravelle for camper vans.
Engines
The water-cooled petrol engines, like the air-cooled Volkswagen engines, were also boxer engines – a concept Volkswagen called Wasserboxer. The diesel engines were ordinary inline fours that were used in several of the cars of the time from the Volkswagen Group.
About the pictures
The main image was photographed in Bordeaux. It appears to be a rolling restoration object. Without rust. The Caravelle, which is parked together with a Volkswagen T1 and T2, was going out on a drive-out under the auspices of the Veteran Volkswagen VW club during the first Corona outbreak. The burgundy car was snapped at Maritim at Bestumkilen outside Oslo. A place where you could perhaps have camped for a couple of days in a camping-equipped T3. The white camper is photographed at Aircooled in Tossa de Mar, Costa Brava, Spain. Caravelle Syncro was parked at Enerhaugen, Oslo. The colorful Multivan with French black plates is pictured at a car meet in Perpignan, 2023.
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