Makes › Volkswagen › EA 266 · Prototype · 1969–1971 Ultra Rare
Volkswagen
EA 266
Porsche-developed under-floor/mid-engined Beetle successor; cancelled 1971, almost all prototypes scrapped, two officially survive.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 50 Built
- Years
- 1969–1971
- Engine
- Water-cooled inline four, mid-mounted longitudinally under the rear seat · 1,588 cc / 1.6 LFactory: 1,588 cc
- Power
- 74 kW / 101 PSFactory: 74 kW
- Top speed
- 189 km/hFactory: 189 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Porsche KG (project led by Ferdinand Piech)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 2 (factory reported)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The EA 266 was Volkswagen's mid-engine candidate to replace the Beetle, developed by Porsche in the late 1960s. It was dropped in favour of the front-drive Golf and is one of the best known cancelled VW projects.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionKnown surviving examples | 22 | Surviving examples | Factory reported |
| Total model productionprototypes built by Porsche at cancellation (approx.; the same article also mentions around 100) | 501 | 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
Volkswagen gave Porsche the development order in the late 1960s with a brief for a sporty, comfortable, safe, spacious and compact car. Porsche chose a water-cooled four-cylinder engine lying under the rear seat, and Ferdinand Piech led the work. The engine location caused heat, noise, dust and service problems, as even small jobs meant removing the engine and gearbox block.
About 50 prototypes were built. VW ended the project after Rudolf Leiding took over, as the Golf (EA 337) was ready for production, and almost all prototypes were destroyed. Two survive, one of them in the Autostadt/VW collection.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard EA 266.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Water-cooled inline four, mid-mounted longitudinally under the rear seat2 |
| Cylinders | 42 |
| Displacement | 1,588 cc / 1.6 LFactory: 1,588 cc2 |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Fuel injection2 |
| Power | 74 kW / 101 PSFactory: 74 kW2100 PS at 5500 rpm. |
| Power at | 5,500 rpm2 |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| 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 | 189 km/hFactory: 189 km/h2The same VW caption text also gives 187 km/h in the body. |
|---|---|
| 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.
The car is a hatchback with the water-cooled four-cylinder engine mounted longitudinally under the rear seat and the transaxle directly behind it. VW lists a 1.6-litre fuel-injected engine of 100 PS for the 1969 car. Only two prototypes survive, so any claimed EA 266 should be checked against the museum cars.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
EA266: Käfer-Nachfolger mit Porsche-Mittelmotor (Motor1.com Deutschland) Level C
- 50 prototypes built by Porsche at cancellation (approx.; the same article also mentions around 100)
-
2
Volkswagen EA 266, Baujahr 1969 Level A Volkswagen Newsroom
- eines von zwei noch existierenden Exemplaren dieses Typs
- Vierzylinder in Reihe, wassergekühlt ... liegend unterhalb der Rückbank
- Vierzylinder in Reihe
- Hubraum: 1588 ccm
- Sein 1,6 Liter-Einspritzmotor
- 74 kW / 100 PS bei 5500/min
- bei 5500/min
- Höchstgeschwindigkeit: 189 km/h
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