1981 Summary
USA Model Summary for 1981 VW Vanagons

1981 was the second model year for Vanagons in the U.S. Four models of the Vanagon were built for the US market for this model year.

Vanagon (7 & 9 seat versions)

Vanagon L

Vanagon Camper (P22)

Vanagon Camper (P27)

Colors available

The following colors were available for the Vanagon, Vanagon Camper (p22) and Vanagon Camper (P27):

Ivory

Assuan Brown

Medium Blue

The following colors were available for the Vanagon L:

Ivory / Bright Orange

Guinea Blue / Cornat Blue

Samos Beige / Assuan Brown

Ivory / Bamboo Yellow

Distinguishing features

There are alomost no distinguishing features to seperate a 1981 Vanagon from a 1980 model. Some say that 1981 models have the black plastic engine air intake grills behind the rearmost side windows. This is only partially true, since many early 1981 models were built with the metal intake slats that are part of the van's body like all 1980 Vanagons were built with. The only other way to distinguish a 1981 from a 1980 is by the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). 1981 models use the same VIN format as all later Vanagons. A 1981 Vanagon will have a VIN like this: WV2YA9259BH123456. The 'B' in the 9th position indicates a 1981 model.
All 1981 Vanagons came with one grill at the front of the van, not for cooling air intake, but for interior ventilation. A pair of single round headlights are mounted in the grill. This one-grill look distinguishes all of the air cooled Vanagons from 1980 till 1983, when the air cooled Vanagons were discontinued, mid-year.
On the rear of the van was a "Volkswagen" logo on left side and a "Vanagon" or "Vanagon L" logo on the right side. The rear hatch does not have a "VW" logo.

Categories key

Passenger vans

Syncros

Full campers

Partial campers

Wolfsburgs

1981 Vanagon

    $?,???

Standard Features:

Drivetrain
2.0 liter air-cooled horizontally opposed, 4 cylinder engine
Air Flow Control (AFC) electronic fuel injection
Power: 67HP @ 4200RPM
SAE net Torque: 101FtLbs @ 3000RPM
4 speed manual transmission
Rear wheel drive
Electronic ignition

Suspension, wheels, steering
Independent front & rear suspension
Power assisted brakes, solid front disks, rear drums
Rack & pinion steering
Steel belted radial tires, size 185SR14
14" steel wheels, 5" wide
Chrome hub caps
Spare tire (full size) stored under front of van

Exterior, body
Black painted steel bumpers
Dual outside mirrors, black
Sliding right side door
Sliding side windows
Opening wing windows
Electric rear window defogger
2-speed front windshield wipers

Wheelbase:

96.8"

2.46 meters

Front track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Rear track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Length:

179.9"

4.57 meters

Width:

72.6"

1.844 meters

Height:

77.2"

1.96 meters

Ground clearance:

7.5"

19 cm

Turning circle:
(curb-to-curb)

34.5 ft

10.52 meters
Curb weight: 3087 lb 1400 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 5072 lb 2300 kg

Interior
Padded strip on dash board
Speedometer
Fuel level gauge
Vanity mirror in front passenger sun visor
Front bucket seats with solid headrests
Two passenger center bench seat
Three passenger rear bench seat, backrest folds for cargo room
Van Dyck (brown) vinyl upholstery with Ivory paint
     Black vinyl upholstery with Medium Blue paint
     Gazelle (beige) vinly upholstery with Assuan Brown paint
Black rubber floor covering
Vinyl covered door panels
Armrest & door handles on front doors
Removable carpet over engine area
Passenger area fresh air vents above side windows (4)

Cargo capacity:

Behind rear seat:

49.7 ft³

1.408 meters³

Rear & center seat removed:

201 ft³

5.696 meters³

Miscellaneous
15.9 Gallon fuel tank mounted under center of van
17 MPG EPA city estimate
25 MPG EPA highway estimate

Optional Features:

9 person seating

$???

Replaces front passenger bucket seat & aisle with 2 passenger bench. Replaces center 2 passenger bench with 3 passenger bench.

3 speed automatic transmission

$???

(reduces EPA MPG to 16-city, 23-hwy - estimates)

Air conditioning

$???

Tinted glass

$???

Auxiliary gasoline fueled heater (BA-6) located under center of van

$???

Rear window wiper with intermittent cycle feature

$???

1981 Vanagon L

$?,???

Standard Features:

Drivetrain
2.0 liter air-cooled horizontally opposed, 4 cylinder engine
Air Flow Control (AFC) electronic fuel injection
Power: 67HP @ 4200RPM
SAE net Torque: 101FtLbs @ 3000RPM
4 speed manual transmission
Rear wheel drive
Electronic ignition

Suspension, wheels, steering
Independent front & rear suspension
Power assisted brakes, solid front disks, rear drums
Rack & pinion steering
Steel belted radial tires, size 185SR14
14" steel wheels, 5" wide
Chrome hub caps
Spare tire (full size) stored under front of van

Exterior, body
Two tone paint options:
     Ivory over Bright Orange,
     Guinea Blue (light blue) over Cornat Blue (medium blue),
     Samos Beige (peach-like) over Assuan Brown (light brown),
     Ivory over Bamboo Yellow (bright yellow)
Chrome steel bumpers with rubber impact strips
Dual outside mirrors, black
Sliding right side door
Sliding side windows
Opening wing windows
Electric rear window defogger
2 speed front windshield wipers with intermittent cycle feature

Wheelbase:

96.8"

2.46 meters

Front track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Rear track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Length:

179.9"

4.57 meters

Width:

72.6"

1.844 meters

Height:

77.2"

1.96 meters

Ground clearance:

7.5"

19 cm

Turning circle:
(curb-to-curb)

34.5 ft

10.52 meters
Curb weight: 3137 lb 1423 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 5072 lb 2300 kg

Interior
Padded strip on dash board
Speedometer with trip odometer
Fuel level gauge
Vanity mirror in front passenger sun visor
Lockable glove box
Storage compartment on driver's door
Front bucket seats with solid headrests
Two passenger center bench seat
Three passenger rear bench seat, backrest folds for cargo room
Van Dyck (brown) vinyl upholstery available with
     Ivory / Bright Orange paint
     Samos Brown / Assuan Brown paint
     Ivory / Bamboo Yellow paint
Black vinyl upholstery available with
     Guinea Blue / Cornat Blue paint
Full carpeting
Vinyl covered door panels
Armrest & door handles on front doors
Removable carpet over engine area
Passenger area fresh air vents above side windows (4)

Cargo capacity:

Behind rear seat:

49.7 ft³

1.408 meters³

Rear & center seat removed:

201 ft³

5.696 meters³

Miscellaneous
15.9 Gallon fuel tank mounted under center of van
17 MPG EPA city estimate
25 MPG EPA highway estimate

Optional Features:

9 person seating

$???

Replaces front passenger bucket seat & aisle with 2 passenger bench. Replaces center 2 passenger bench with 3 passenger bench.

3 speed automatic transmission

$???

(reduces EPA MPG to 16-city, 23-hwy - estimates)

Air conditioning

$???

Cloth interior

$???

Corduroy-style fabric in Van Dyck (brown) color or Topaz (beige) color (Not available with Guinea Blue / Cornat Blue paint)

Tinted glass

$???

Auxiliary gasoline fueled heater (BA-6) located under center of van

$???

Rear window wiper with intermittent cycle feature

$???

1981 Vanagon Camper (P22)

    $?,???

Standard Features:

Drivetrain
2.0 liter air-cooled horizontally opposed, 4 cylinder engine
Air Flow Control (AFC) electronic fuel injection
Power: 67HP @ 4200RPM
SAE net Torque: 101FtLbs @ 3000RPM
4 speed manual transmission
Rear wheel drive
Electronic ignition

Suspension, wheels, steering
Independent front & rear suspension
Power assisted brakes, solid front disks, rear drums
Rack & pinion steering
Steel belted radial tires, size 185SR14
14" steel wheels, 5" wide
Chrome hub caps
Spare tire (full size) stored under front of van

Exterior, body
Paint color choices: Medium Blue, Assuan Brown, or Ivory
Dual outside mirrors
Sliding right side door
Sliding side windows with screens
Opening wing windows
Electric rear window defogger
2 speed front windshield wipers
Pop-top roof with cargo carrier

Wheelbase:

96.8"

2.46 meters

Front track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Rear track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Length:

179.9"

4.57 meters

Width:

72.6"

1.844 meters

Height:

82.1"

2.09 meters

Ground clearance:

7.5"

19 cm

Turning circle:
(curb-to-curb)

34.5 ft

10.52 meters

Curb weight:

3387 lb
(estimate)

1536 kg
(estimate)

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR):

5072 lb

2300 kg

Interior
Padded strip on dash board, brown
Speedometer
Fuel level gauge
Front bucket seats with swivel bases and solid headrests
Camping seat behind driver's seat with 10.6 gal water tank in base
Three passenger rear bench seat (folds into bed, cushion over engine)
Gazelle (light brown) vinyl upholstery available with
     Medium Blue paint
     Assuan Brown paint
Van Dyck (dark brown) vinyl upholstery available with
     Ivory paint
Removable carpeting
Ice box, 8 gallon capacity
Kitchen cabinet Sink with electric water pump
External water hook-up
110VAC duplex power outlet, master switch, circuit breaker, & external connection
Rear "swivel-away" table
Front swiveling "store-away" table
Clothes locker / 3 door closet
Overhead storage cabinet
Light over sink
Privacy curtains
Removable screen for rear hatch
Pop-top roof with 2 person sleeping loft

Cargo capacity:

Behind rear seat:

49.7 ft³

1.408 meters³

Miscellaneous
15.9 Gallon fuel tank mounted under center of van
17 MPG EPA city estimate
25 MPG EPA highway estimate

Optional Features:

3 speed automatic transmission

$???

(reduces EPA MPG to 16-city, 23-hwy - estimates)

Air conditioning

$???

Tinted glass

$???

Auxiliary gasoline fueled heater (BA-6) located under center of van

$???

Rear window wiper with intermittent cycle feature

$???

Cloth upholstery in "Boogie Woogie" pattern

$???

(alternating multicolored horizontal bars)
Gazelle color scheme (beige/orange/green) available with
     Medium Blue and Assuan Brown paint
Van Dyck color scheme (brown/orange/blue) available with
     Ivory paint

1981 Vanagon L Camper (P27)

$?,???

Standard Features:

Drivetrain
2.0 liter air-cooled horizontally opposed, 4 cylinder engine
Air Flow Control (AFC) electronic fuel injection
Power: 67HP @ 4200RPM
SAE net Torque: 101FtLbs @ 3000RPM
4 speed manual transmission
Rear wheel drive
Electronic ignition

Suspension, wheels, steering
Independent front & rear suspension
Power assisted brakes, solid front disks, rear drums
Rack & pinion steering
Steel belted radial tires, size 185SR14
14" steel wheels, 5" wide
Chrome hub caps
Spare tire (full size) stored under front of van

Exterior, body
Paint color choices: Medium Blue, Assuan Brown, or Ivory
Dual outside mirrors
Sliding right side door
Sliding side windows with screens
Opening wing windows
Electric rear window defogger
Front windshield wipers with intermittent cycle feature
Pop-top roof with cargo carrier

Wheelbase:

96.8"

2.46 meters

Front track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Rear track:

61.8"

1.57 meters

Length:

179.9"

4.57 meters

Width:

72.6"

1.844 meters

Height:

82.1"

2.09 meters

Ground clearance:

7.5"

19 cm

Turning circle:
(curb-to-curb)

34.5 ft

10.52 meters

Curb weight:

3537 lb
(estimate)

1604 kg
(estimate)

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR):

5072 lb

2300 kg

Interior
Padded strip on dash board, brown
Speedometer with trip odometer
Fuel level gauge
Vanity mirror in front passenger sun visor
Lockable glove box
Storage compartment on driver's door
Front bucket seats with swivel bases and solid headrests
Camping seat behind driver's seat with 10.6 gal water tank in base
Three passenger rear bench seat (folds into bed, cushion over engine)
Gazelle (light brown) vinyl upholstery available with
     Medium Blue paint
     Assuan Brown paint
Van Dyck (dark brown) vinyl upholstery available with
     Ivory paint
Removable carpeting
LPG/110VAC/12VDC refrigerator
Sink with electric water pump & 10.6 gal water storage tank
External water hook-up
110VAC duplex power outlet, master switch, circuit breaker, & external connection
Rear "swivel-away" table
Front swiveling "store-away" table
Clothes locker / 3 door closet
Overhead storage cabinet
Light over sink
Privacy curtains
Removable screen for rear hatch
Pop-top roof with 2 person sleeping loft
Fire extinguisher

Cargo capacity:

Behind rear seat:

49.7 ft³

1.408 meters³

Miscellaneous
15.9 Gallon fuel tank mounted under center of van
17 MPG EPA city estimate
25 MPG EPA highway estimate

Optional Features:

3 speed automatic transmission

$???

(reduces EPA MPG to 16-city, 23-hwy - estimates)

Air conditioning

$???

Tinted glass

$???

Auxiliary gasoline fueled heater (BA-6) located under center of van

$???

Rear window wiper with intermittent cycle feature

$???

Cloth upholstery in "Boogie Woogie" pattern

$???

(alternating multicolored horizontal bars)
Gazelle color scheme (beige/orange/green) available with
     Medium Blue and Assuan Brown paint
Van Dyck color scheme (brown/orange/blue) available with
     Ivory paint

vanagon.com is not affiliated with Volkswagen of America, Volkswagen AG, or Westfalia AG. 'Vanagon' and the VW logo are trademarks of Volkswagen.

Ivory / Bright Orange	Guinea Blue / Cornat Blue
Samos Beige / Assuan Brown	Ivory / Bamboo Yellow

Wheelbase:	96.8"	2.46 meters
Front track:	61.8"	1.57 meters
Rear track:	61.8"	1.57 meters
Length:	179.9"	4.57 meters
Width:	72.6"	1.844 meters
Height:	77.2"	1.96 meters
Ground clearance:	7.5"	19 cm
Turning circle: (curb-to-curb)	34.5 ft	10.52 meters
Curb weight:	3087 lb	1400 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR):	5072 lb	2300 kg

Cargo capacity:	Behind rear seat:	49.7 ft³	1.408 meters³
	Rear & center seat removed:	201 ft³	5.696 meters³

9 person seating		$???
	Replaces front passenger bucket seat & aisle with 2 passenger bench. Replaces center 2 passenger bench with 3 passenger bench.
3 speed automatic transmission		$???
	(reduces EPA MPG to 16-city, 23-hwy - estimates)
Air conditioning		$???
Tinted glass		$???
Auxiliary gasoline fueled heater (BA-6) located under center of van		$???
Rear window wiper with intermittent cycle feature		$???

1981 Summary USA Model Summary for 1981 VW Vanagons

Colors available

Distinguishing features

Categories key

1981 Vanagon

Standard Features:

Optional Features:

1981 Vanagon L

Standard Features:

Optional Features:

1981 Vanagon Camper (P22)

Standard Features:

Optional Features:

1981 Vanagon L Camper (P27)

Standard Features:

Optional Features:

1981 Summary
USA Model Summary for 1981 VW Vanagons