This is an original Volkswagen Iltis 4×4 Type 183 from 1980. It’s a rare four-wheel drive developed to offer a homegrown four wheeler, as a replacement for the earlier DKW Munga and the VW Beetle-based Type 181 in German military service.
“Iltis” means “Polecat” in German, it’s an animal that was chosen to represent the new 4×4 due to its short, compact body and hardy build. The Volkswagen Iltis was built between 1978 and 1988 with just over 9,500 made in total, almost all for military use. Today they’re highly prized by enthusiasts and collectors.
Fast Facts – The Volkswagen Iltis 4×4
- The Volkswagen Iltis, produced between 1978 and 1988, replaced the DKW Munga and VW Type 181 in German military service. Only 9,500 units were made, with civilian versions being rare and collectible. Its design featured a military-focussed utilitarian build, making it durable and highly capable off road.
- The Iltis made history by winning the 1980 Paris-Dakar Rally, taking 1st, 2nd, and 4th places. Its success influenced Audi’s engineers to develop the iconic Quattro, a revolutionary rally car that transformed Group B motorsport and set a new standard for all-wheel-drive performance in rally racing.
- Built using parts from the DKW Munga, Audi 100, VW Golf, and Beetle, the Iltis had independent four-wheel suspension, selectable rear- or four-wheel drive, and a 1.7 liter engine producing 70 bhp, paired with a 4-speed manual transmission with off-road-biased gearing.
- Licensed production in Canada by Bombardier extended the Iltis’ use to militaries worldwide, including Germany, Canada, Belgium, and Oman. Civilian models, fewer than 200 built, were utilitarian and rare. A well-preserved 1980 example, listed by Bonhams for $15,000–$26,000 USD, showcases its rugged design and historical significance.
The Volkswagen Iltis: A History Speedrun
The Volkswagen Iltis could be called the most important 4×4 that most people have never heard of. An Iltis won the grueling 1980 Paris-Dakar Rally, in fact it took 1st, 2nd, and 4th place. It also showcased the value of four-wheel drive systems to Audi engineers, who would then develop the first Audi Quattro and completely revolutionize the world of rally and Group B in particular.
Above Video: This short clip shows the Volkswagen Iltis being driven hard in the 1980 Paris-Dakar Rally where it would go on to win the event.
Despite its name, the Volkswagen Iltis was actually almost completely developed internally at Audi. Audi belonged to VW by this time, and the final decision to use the Volkswagen name was largely down to the fact that company executives thought it might help them win German military contracts due to the military’s prior familiarity with the brand.
The Europa Jeep (Almost)
The project was led by Ferdinand Piëch with the initial goal of quickly creating a military 4×4 to replace the aging DKW Munga – before the arrival of the long-delayed amphibious 4×4 Europa Jeep. Ultimately the Europa Jeep would be a white elephant, countless millions were spent on development but the project imploded.
As a result of this, the Volkswagen Iltis, also known as the Type 183, became significantly more important. Piëch and his team used as many pre-existing parts as possible to keep costs down, they raided the parts bin of the DKW Munga, the Audi 100, The Mk1 Volkswagen Golf, and the VW Beetle.
The final production design of the Iltis would be quite advanced for the era, with independent front and rear suspension offering far better roadholding than the live axles of the competition. The Iltis could be operated in rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive thanks to a dual-range transfer case, and it had front and rear locking differentials.
Power was provided by a 1.7 liter inline-four from Audi producing 70 bhp and this was mated to a 4-speed manual transmission that had an additional low gear for off-road use marked “G” for “Gelände” or “Terrain” in German.
This is a cutaway of the Volkswagen Iltis, it shows just how clever the engineering that went into it was. No one on the development team knew their design would go onto inspire the creation of the Audi Quattro just a few years later. Image courtesy of Volkswagen.
The Iltis Goes Into Production
The Iltis would win out (initially) over its key competitor, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, and it entered production in 1978. The vehicle was very much developed in the spirit of earlier German off-roaders like the VW Type 181 Thing, the DKW Munga, and of course, earlier models like the VW Kübelwagen.
Interestingly, the Iltis would be built under license in Canada for a time by Bombardier, and it would be used by a number of militaries outside of Germany, including in Argentina, Greece, North Macedonia, Belgium, Canada, Cameroon, Germany, Mali, and Oman.
A civilian model was developed, however it was rather utilitarian and didn’t offer particularly good value for money, and as a result just over 180 examples were ever built. They’re now among the most collectible of the Iltis variants, though few survived to the modern day.
The 1980 Volkswagen Iltis Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is a 1980 Volkswagen Iltis that is currently registered in Spain.
It appears to be in remarkably good condition throughout, in fact it looks like the best Iltis we’ve seen come up for sale in some time – most military vehicles have lived hard lives, and by the time they’re sold they can often be little more than tired project cars with camo paint jobs.
The interior is minimalist as you would expect for a military 4×4, there are two front seats, two rear seats, and a simple folding canvas top.
As with all Iltis that were built, this one has two seats up front and two smaller seats in the back, it has a fabric soft top, a spare wheel on the back as well as a jerry can, and a simple, spartan interior.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Bonhams in early February with a price guide of $15,000 – $26,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bonhams + Volkswagen
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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.
