• Engine: 2,332cc Flat 4-Cylinder

• Transmission: 4-Speed Manual

• Exterior Color: Mocha / Pearlescent Orange

• Interior Color: Parchment

• Make: Volkswagen

• Model: Type 147

• Trim / Submodel: Fridolin

• Body Style: Panel Van

• Auction: Kissimmee 2026

• Crossed the Block: Thursday, January 15th

• 1 of approximately 6,000 units produced for German Postal Authority

• Modified air-cooled 2,332cc flat 4-cylinder engine

• Rancho Performance Pro Street 4-speed manual transaxle

• Dual Weber 44 IDF carburetors with 6-inch velocity stacks

• Porsche-style Bergman cooling fan and serpentine belt kit

• A-1 Sidewinder exhaust with J-tubes

• Mocha and Pearlescent Orange body with off-White roof

• Body media blasted with rust repairs

• Parchment upholstery on bucket seats and rear bench

• Tan square weave carpeting

• Custom seat bases with integrated toolbox drawers

• Sliding side doors

• Safari-style rear window

• Airkewld 4-wheel adjustable air suspension

• PRObuilt axle beam, front air shocks, rear air springs

• ViAir air compressor and tank

• Red Wilwood calipers with cross-drilled rotors at all four corners

• 17-inch front and 18-inch rear polished Billet Specialties wheels

• Nitto Neo Gen tires (205/40 front, 215/40 rear)

This 1972 Volkswagen Type 147 Kleinlieferwagen or “Fridolin” is one of approximately 6,000 units produced by Volkswagen at the request of the German Postal Authority. This example was acquired by the seller approximately 15 years ago and was subsequently refurbished and modified. Power comes from an air-cooled 2,332cc flat-four that is mated to a Rancho four-speed transaxle and equipped with a Porsche-style cooling fan kit, a serpentine belt system, and Weber 44 IDF carburetors with 6″ velocity stacks. The body has been refinished in mocha, pearlescent orange, and off-white and features chrome bumpers, crotch coolers, and custom-fabricated pop-out side windows. The interior is trimmed in parchment upholstery and incorporates tan square weave carpeting, a rear bench seat, jail bars, AutoMeter instrumentation, and toolbox drawers in the front seat bases. Additional details include 17″ and 18″ Billet Specialties wheels, Airkewld four-wheel adjustable air suspension, and Wilwood calipers over cross-drilled rotors at all four corners. This Type 147 is now offered with a clean Florida title in the seller’s name.

The Fridolin was designed utilizing parts from several existing VW models, which included the engine and transaxle from the Beetle, the chassis from the Karmann Ghia, rear body elements from the Type 2 Bus, and headlight assemblies and hood design from a Type 3. The body of this example was reportedly media blasted before receiving rust repairs, custom-fabricated pop-out side windows, and a repaint in mocha and pearlescent orange with an off-white roof. Additional exterior details include sliding side doors, bullet-style turn signals, crotch coolers, chrome bumpers, a safari-style rear window, and polished VW-logo jack hole covers.

Polished Billet Specialties 17″ and 18″ wheels are mounted with Nitto Neo Gen tires measuring 205/40 up front and 215/40 out back. The car has been fitted with an Airkewld and four-wheel adjustable air suspension system consisting of a PRObuilt axle beam, front air shocks, rear air springs, and a Viair air compressor and tank mounted in the engine bay. An Airkewld shifter linkage inspection plate has also been fitted. Stopping power is provided by red-finished Wilwood calipers over cross-drilled rotors at all four corners.

The front bucket seats are trimmed in parchment upholstery and mounted to a custom-fabricated base with integrated toolbox drawers. The door panels and rear bench seat are trimmed in matching upholstery, while tan square weave carpets line the footwells and rear cargo area. Additional interior elements include a push-button ignition, an aftermarket shifter, billet door handles, sliding side windows, jail bars, and lap belts with Wolfsburg crests. A fire extinguisher is mounted in the rear cargo area.

The Budnik Wheels four-spoke steering wheel is bolted to a polished steering column. AutoMeter instrumentation consists of a 160-mph GPS speedometer and a tachometer with a shift light as well as readouts for oil pressure, oil temperature, and voltage. Switches and a gauge for the air suspension are mounted on the left side of the dashboard.  The speedometer and odometer work intermittently. True mileage is unknown.

The replacement air-cooled flat-four has been modified to displace 2,332cc and features a 12-volt electrical system and dual Weber 44 IDF carburetors with 6″ velocity stacks as well as a Bergman Porsche-style cooling fan and serpentine belt kit, an electric fuel pump, Bosch ignition components, and an EMPI billet crankcase breather tube with open element filters. The engine is accessible via the hinged panel between the taillights as well as through a hatch in the rear cargo area, which was sourced from a Volkswagen Bus. Service in July 2023 consisted of an oil change, a carburetor and valve adjustment, and replacement of the spark plugs.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a Rancho Performance Pro Street four-speed manual transaxle. The axle tubes and bearing housings have been polished, and an A-1 Sidewinder exhaust system with J-tubes has been installed.