Volkswagen Vanagon
The MicroBus was replaced with it for 1980. The name was a play on the combination of ‘van’ and ‘station wagon’. For trim levels, there was the base Vanagon, Vanagon L, and Vanagon GL.
It came in two configurations, which were passenger van or camper, the latter of which was outfitted by Westfalia. Powering it was a rear mounted, 2.0L EFI H4, which made 67hp. Like the Beetle’s engine, it was air-cooled also. The same basic idea lasted through the 1983 model year. Transmissions were a choice of 4-speed manual and 3-speed automatic.
In 1982, a 1.6L Diesel I4 (water cooled) of just 48hp was added to the option list. It was backed with a 4-speed manual transmission. This changed over to a 5-speed for 1983. These were the only two years for the diesel in a Vanagon.
