Volkswagen used to build a pickup truck version of its Rabbit. It was a nifty little FWD compact, and actually the vehicle I learned to drive sitck in. Recently, someone got hold of a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck (or more likely a pair of them) and built a four-door, long-bed version. So is it a midsize truck? Check it out and decide for yourself.
The Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck was an efficient compact
1981 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup | Cars & Bids
Volkswagen introduced a pickup version of its Rabbit in 1979 and sold it trhough the 1984 model year. If you ordered this compact, FWD truck with the 1.6-liter diesel engine and 5-speed manual it got an EPA estimated 41 mpg in stop-go driving. On the highway that went up to an incredible 54 mpg.
With just 52 horsepower (diesel) and 78 horsepower (gasoline) the VW Rabbit pickup truck wasn’t doing any heavy-duty hauling or towing. But it was an efficient and cost-effective around-town truck, that could even fit into parking spaces some cars could not.
Someone in Vermont stretched a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck
1981 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup | Cars & Bids
Not only did the Cars & Bids website list a VW Rabbit pickup truck, despite their being rare, but it had a four-door model. There’s only one problem, VW never built a four-door Rabbit pickup truck.
In this case, it appears that someone has taken a pair of Volkswagen pickup trucks and cut and welded them into a tasteful four-door, long-bed.
You can see a walkaround of this modified VW Rabbit truck in the video below:
Keyword: Volkswagen Made a Compact Truck, and Then Someone Stretched One!