Year of Volkswagen Caddy

The name Volkswagen Caddy has been used by the Volkswagen Group to describe four different Caddy models:

• Typ 14 was derived from the Volkswagen Golf Mk1,
• Typ 9U was derived from the Škoda Felicia pick-up,
• Typ 9K was derived from the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 (VW Caddy) / SEAT Ibiza (SEAT Inca) platform,
• Typ 2K was derived from the Volkswagen Touran platform with Golf Mk5 front suspension.

Released in 1980, the first Volkswagen Caddy is a light pickup truck, and van based on the Volkswagen Group A1 platform, shared with the small family car Volkswagen Golf Mk1.

VW Typ is:

• 147 = LHD
• 148 = RHD

Caddy debuts internationally as a Rabbit

The Caddy came into fruition when VW was experimenting with Golf derivatives, a station wagon and a pickup.

Volkswagen of America was interested in the pickup, when VW released the Caddy it first was produced at the VW Westmoreland County plant in Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1982.

It was known in North America as the VW Rabbit Pickup with trim levels such as LX and Sportruck.

The Caddy competed with other mini-pickups such as the Ford Courier and Subaru Brat of that time.

Caddy debuts in Europe

The Caddy nameplate was never used in the USA (since the name is slang for Cadillac motor car division). Its first use was in Europe in 1982 when the Caddy was debuted on the European Market.

European Caddys were built in Volkswagen's plant TAS in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1982 till 1992.

As of 2006[update], they are still produced in South Africa. The stamping equipment was shipped from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, the home of Volkswagen's only U.S. manufacturing plant, now defunct.

Engine specs

The 1980-1984 Caddy pickup used the following engines:

• 1.0 petrol
• 1.3 petrol
• 1.5 petrol
• 1.5 diesel (1980)
• 1.6 petrol
• 1.7 petrol
• 1.6 diesel w/ turbo in Canada and abroad
• 1.8 petrol

The current (post 2003) South African-spec VW Pickup (Caddy name dropped to not conflict with Caddy 2K) is only available with a 1.6 carb-fed engine producing 60 kW.

However during its long production in South Africa it has been available with the following engines:

• 1.6 petrol 63 kW
• 1.6 petrol 60 kW
• 1.6 diesel 44 kW
• 1.8 petrol 70 kW

Gallery

Released in 1996 to compliment the Typ 9K Caddy range, the rebadged Škoda Felicia Utility was the entry level Commercial Vehicle for the VWCV range.