Volkswagen Type 4, 411 and 412

This in-depth study of the VW Type 4, Wolfsburg's first luxury car and Volkswagen's final all new air-cooled car, is the first English language book dedicated to Volkswagen's 411 and 412 models. Marc Cranswic's in-depth look at the Type 4 reveals the design origins, history, and legacy of the car, supported by a wealth of archive images, original photos, and cartoon caricatures by the author. With full model histories of 411 and 412 models, analyses of VW's transition from air-cooled to water-cooled engines, and detailed specification and performance tables, this is the first and most detailed record of the origins and history of the Volkswagen Type 4 in English.

The Type 4 was Volkswagen's final new design in a 30-year air-cooled odyssey. It held to VW tradition, while introducing new engineering directions and refinements. If ever there was a car in search of a context and a market, it was the Type 4. Volkswagen's first foray in the upmarket sector brought engineering innovation to Wolsfburg, and aimed to convince buyers worldwide that Volkswagen still had the right stuff.

Sample spread from Volkswagen Type4, 411 and 412

With Porsche design origins, signs were hopeful for the Type 4. But the car was released in a period of rapid change for the auto market, and while the Type 4's tech portfolio ran to unitary construction and fuel injection, it faced stiff competition from Detroit's European subsidiaries.

All the while, VW was searching for its place in future auto markets, and faced challenging developments such as the fuel crisis, and Japanese competition in North America.

Sample spread from Volkswagen Type 4, 411 and 412

The 411 and 412 brought a new dimension in comfort to VW, and its hardware design was utilized by air-cooled enthusiasts both on- and off-road. The Type 4 even gained praise for its sportscar-like handling from Car and Track, when compared to midsize domestic cars of the day: and it has never lost the power to surprise

Model history of VW Type 4 411 & 412
Design origins of the VW Type 4
Specification and performance tables
Original cartoon caricatures by the author
Archive picture items
Analysis of VW's air to water cooled transition
VW Group business in the 20th century
VW sportscars & offroaders overview
Government service Type 4 pictures
An evaluation of the VW Type 4 and its rivals

(PUB 03/2021, Autor: Simon Glen , Idioma: Inglês, 184 págs, capa dura, 25X20 cms, 223 fotos )