This is a 1974 Volkswagen Type 3 1600 TL, it’s a Brazilian market car rarely seen outside of South America, but this one has been imported into the USA and road registered.
It’s finished in orange over a black interior, and it’s powered by the 1.6 liter VW flat-four, sending power to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transaxle. There aren’t many of these on the road in North America, and as a result they often attract quite a bit of attention both at car shows, and when just stopping for gas.
Fast Facts: Volkswagen Type 3 1600 TL
- The Volkswagen Type 3 1600 TL shown here is a 1974 Brazilian-market fastback, imported to the United States and now registered in California. Finished in orange with black vinyl upholstery, it carries a 1,584cc air-cooled flat-four producing 51 bhp when new, paired with a 4-speed manual transaxle. Its design, proportions, and platform differ from German Type 3s, it was part of Brazil’s locally adapted Volkswagen program.
- “Volkswagen do Brasil” introduced the Type 3 line in the late 1960s, starting with the “Coffin Joe” 1600 sedan before expanding to the TL fastback and Variant wagon. Unlike European counterparts, these cars kept their Beetle-derived torsion bar and swing axle suspension, prioritizing low costs and ease of servicing in a parts-limited market. By 1977 the TL was replaced by the Brasília, though the Variant II continued into the early 1980s.
- The example presented here has been refinished in orange and features quad headlights, chrome bumpers, louvered rear quarter panels, and 15 inch EMPI alloys on a lowered suspension. Braking is managed by front discs and rear drums. Recent maintenance includes an oil change, a new fuel sender seal, and the addition of an auxiliary ground cable. The dual-carb engine also sports a 4-into-1 exhaust system.
- Inside, the cabin is simple and as a result of its Brazilian origin it lacks a heater but it has front bucket seats, a rear bench, crank windows, rubber mats, and a faux-wood steering wheel with a São Bernardo do Campo crest. Instrumentation includes a 160 km/h speedometer, fuel gauge, and clock.
History Speedrun: The Volkswagen Type 3 1600 TL
When Volkswagen launched the Type 3 in Germany in 1961, the idea was simple – to offer more space and refinement than the Beetle without necessarily venturing into a new market segment. It spawned the Notchback, Fastback, and Variant versions, all built on what was essentially an extended Beetle floorpan, powered by the familiar air-cooled VW flat-four. But when production began in Brazil in the late-1960s, the story took a distinctive turn.
Instead of adopting the German Type 3 wholesale, Volkswagen do Brasil engineered its own derivative version – this was partly a matter of cost and partly necessity. Image courtesy of Volkswagen do Brasil.
Brazil had a growing middle class and a tariff-based government policy that heavily favored locally produced cars. “Volkswagen do Brasil” already assembled the Beetle, renamed Fusca, and wanted a larger model to serve buyers who needed more capacity and day-to-day practicality.
Instead of adopting the German Type 3 wholesale, the company engineered its own derivative version – this was partly a matter of cost and partly necessity.
The first locally developed model was the Volkswagen 1600, introduced in 1968. Known informally as the “Zé do Caixão” (Coffin Joe) due to its squared front end, it was available as a four-door sedan – something never offered on German Type 3s. Underneath, it kept the Beetle’s torsion-bar front suspension and swing-axle rear, rather than the more advanced IRS that appeared in later European versions.
The powerplant was the familiar 1.6 liter air-cooled VW flat-four, producing around 60 bhp, paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. It was adequate for city and highway use, though performance remained modest by international standards.
In 1970, Volkswagen do Brasil expanded the line with the 1600 TL, a fastback-styled two-door. Unlike the German Type 3 Fastback, the TL sat on a platform closer to the Beetle’s, giving it proportions that looked slightly taller and narrower. The TL proved popular with younger buyers who wanted something more modern than a Fusca but still affordable, perhaps with a bit of a sporting feel to boot.
The Variant arrived shortly after, a two-door station wagon that became one of Volkswagen do Brasil’s signature models. Practical and compact, it was widely used by families and small businesses and from 1971 onward, the Variant was also exported to neighboring South American markets, including Uruguay and Chile, where it filled the gap between the Fusca/Beetle and larger imported sedans.
When Volkswagen launched the Type 3 in Germany in 1961, the idea was simple – to offer more space and refinement than the Beetle without necessarily venturing into a new market segment. Image courtesy of Volkswagen AG.
By the mid-1970s, Volkswagen updated the wagon into the Variant II. Launched in 1977, it featured more angular styling and improved interior space, but it still relied on the Beetle-derived platform. That same year, production of the TL was phased out in favor of the newer Brasília, another locally designed VW that shared mechanicals with the Fusca.
Although Brazilian Type 3s shared their name and general concept with the German originals, they were distinct vehicles in almost every regard. The bodywork was unique, the four-door sedan was exclusive to Brazil, and even the fastback differed substantially from its European counterpart. Mechanically, the reliance on the Beetle’s running gear kept costs down and ensured easier servicing in a country where parts availability mattered much more than design sophistication or engineering modernity.
Production of the Brazilian Type 3 family ran until 1981, by which time Volkswagen had shifted focus to newer designs better suited to the 1980s market – the Variant II lingered longest, it remained popular with Brazilian families who needed practical, cheap transport before models like the Passat and Gol took over.
The Volkswagen Type 3 1600 TL Shown Here
This is a 1974 Volkswagen 1600 TL, it was imported to the United States under prior ownership and purchased by the seller earlier in 2025. It’s finished in orange over black vinyl upholstery and it’s powered by a 1,584cc air-cooled VW flat-four paired with a 4-speed manual gearbox.
The engine, rated at 51 bhp when new, breathes through dual carburetors and has a four-into-one exhaust. Recent service work included an oil change, installation of an auxiliary grounding cable, and a new fuel sender seal.
The exterior was refinished in orange before the seller’s ownership and it has quad headlights, chrome bumpers, bright trim, quarter vent windows, and louvered rear quarter panels. It rides on 15″ EMPI alloy wheels with mismatched tires, and the suspension has been lowered slightly – braking is handled by front discs and rear drums.
Inside, the TL is trimmed in black leatherette with front buckets and a rear bench. Equipment includes crank windows, rubber floor mats, and three-point front seat belts. A Kenwood Bluetooth stereo is installed but not connected currently, and no speakers are yet fitted.
This is a 1974 Volkswagen 1600 TL, it was imported to the United States under prior ownership and purchased by the seller earlier in 2025. It’s finished in orange over black vinyl upholstery and it’s powered by a 1,584cc air-cooled VW flat-four paired with a 4-speed manual gearbox.
The cabin lacks a heater, it was a Brazilian-market car after all and heaters are generally not seen as essential. Instrumentation consists of a 160 km/h speedometer, a fuel gauge, and a clock, all framed by a faux-wood two-spoke wheel bearing a São Bernardo do Campo crest.
The car is now being offered for sale out of Santa Ana, California on Bring a Trailer with a clean California title in the seller’s name. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
