Volkswagen was at a crossroads in the mid-1960s. Its Type 1 Sedan was selling upwards of 1 million copies a year, but executives knew that changing regulations and consumer tastes meant those extraordinary figures weren’t sustainable. The best-equipped, most accommodating passenger cars the German automaker offered to that point were the compact two-door Type 3 Squareback, Fastback, and Notchback, so VW opted to stretch its air-cooled rear engine principle still further in size and amenities. The comparably plush, midsize 411 and 412 models would represent the ultimate expression of Volkswagen’s traditional ethos.
It was 1969 when VW dealers abroad received the logically named Type 4 family. The 411 finally arrived in the U.S. in 1971 as a four-door fastback sedan and Squareback-style three-door wagon, the former representing the first Volkswagen car…
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Hemmings Motor News (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2022