1969 Volkswagen Notchback 1600 Type 3
Volkswagen’s more upmarket sedan arrived as the Type 3 in 1961, offering increased refinement over the Beetle while retaining air-cooled, rear-engine architecture.
The Notchback body style featured traditional three-box proportions with a separate trunk lid, distinguishing it from the Fastback and Squareback variants that followed.
The 1,584 cc flat-four “pancake” engine positioned the cooling fan directly on the crankshaft rather than the generator, reducing engine height and enabling both front and rear luggage compartments.
Standard output was 54 horsepower, while dual-carburetor versions produced 65 horsepower. Bosch D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection became available in 1968, making Volkswagen the first high-volume manufacturer to offer this technology.
For 1969, independent rear suspension with double-jointed CV axles replaced the earlier swing-axle setup, significantly improving handling and stability. Front disc brakes had been introduced earlier in the production run and were paired with four-lug wheels rather than the Beetle’s five-bolt pattern.
The Type 3 rode on a 94.5-inch wheelbase shared with the Beetle but offered greater interior volume through increased width and length. Production continued until 1973, totaling approximately 2.6 million examples across all body styles, before the front-engine, water-cooled Passat assumed its market position.
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