Makes › Volkswagen › Country Buggy (Type 197) · Rare production · 1967–1968 Very Rare
Volkswagen
Country Buggy (Type 197)
Australian-designed open utility vehicle built by VW Australia at Clayton on Beetle mechanicals.
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: http://www.carsaroundadelaide.com Ferenghi · CC BY 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 887 Built
- Years
- 1967–1968
- Engine
- Rear-mounted air-cooled flat-four (Beetle 1300) · 1,300 cc / 1.3 LFactory: 1,300 cc
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Country Buggy was a Jeep-like utility vehicle developed by Volkswagen Australia at Clayton, Victoria, for army and rural use without a four-wheel-drive system. It used Beetle and Transporter parts, torsion-bar suspension and a locally built engine, and sold in small numbers.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Volkswagen Country Buggy (Type 197) (Wikimedia Commons: Category:Volkswagen Country Buggy)
Photo: http://www.carsaroundadelaide.com Ferenghi · CC BY 3.0
Volkswagen Country Buggy (Type 197) (Wikimedia Commons: Volkswagen Country Buggy)
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY-SA 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionunits built and sold in Australia (exports and CKD kits not included) | 8871 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Prototypes were hand built at Clayton from late 1965 and tested over about 50,000 km in Australian conditions, with both 1300 and 1500 cc engines used. A prototype was shown to dealers in February 1967 and at the Melbourne Motor Show in March 1967. The first production car left the line in December 1967 and sales opened on 3 April 1968. About 842 were produced in the 1968 calendar year, with 627 sold in Australia.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Country Buggy (Type 197).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Rear-mounted air-cooled flat-four (Beetle 1300)2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 1,300 cc / 1.3 LFactory: 1,300 cc2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Beetle chassis frame with Type 2 axles2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Torsion bars, Type 2 front axle with reduction boxes2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Volkswagen's ugly duckling (CarsGuide) Level C
- 887 units built and sold in Australia (exports and CKD kits not included)
-
2
The Australian Country Buggy story Level B VW Australia club page (Wayback capture) · 2017-09-10
- fitted with a 1300cc Beetle engine as standard
- 1300cc Beetle engine as standard but you could order a 1200CC as an option
- Type 1 (Beetle) Chassis frame, front axle beam
- incorporate Type 2 front and rear axles ... torsion bar suspension
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