Rear window mystery

Just for 411 and 412 stuff.
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Dave Summers
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Joined: 9th May 2007 - 8:10pm
Location: Culloden, Inverness

Rear window mystery

Post by Dave Summers » 28th March 2018 - 11:02pm

Looking through an air-cooled VWs article in "Classic Car Buyer" (11 October 2017) I spotted something odd about the 412 pictured. It's a red 4-door saloon but the rear window extends to just above the engine hatch (i.e. taking in the air intake area) and the air intakes are on the sides as on a Variant. On a closer look it appears to have hinges fitted at the top of the window.
I then found the same photo, with much better resolution, here https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/revie ... en/411412/ (scroll down to the foot of the page) and it clearly does have an opening rear window. Does anyone know anything about this car and how/why it was modified? The photo looks like a studio shot of a new car.
Dave
412 Variant
411 2-door saloon

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937carrera
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Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Rear window mystery

Post by 937carrera » 28th March 2018 - 11:40pm

A little more background here:

http://www.rastall.com/412/vw-ea240.html
David
1974 412LS Variant
1973 412LE 4 door Fastback / Saloon

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Dave Summers
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Joined: 9th May 2007 - 8:10pm
Location: Culloden, Inverness

Re: Rear window mystery

Post by Dave Summers » 28th March 2018 - 11:56pm

A lot of interesting info here - thanks. Still a bit of a mystery about this car, but good to see it described.
Dave
412 Variant
411 2-door saloon

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Editor
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Re: Rear window mystery

Post by Editor » 31st March 2018 - 1:01pm

Interesting - I've never seen that aero-back concept before (apart from other manufacturers). There's a big estate car with 6-cylinder rear air-cooled engine in the VW Museum in Wolfsburg. I'll have to dig out my photos to see if that's 5-doors, and the EA number.
Dave.

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