Volkswagen Type 4

Volkswagen 411/Volkswagen 412
Volkswagen 411 LE Variant
Overview
Manufacturer	Volkswagen AG
Production	1968–1972 (411) August 1972–July 1974 (412)
Designer	Pininfarina Brooks Stevens (412)
Body and chassis
Class	Compact / mid-size (D-class) family car
Body style	2-door fastback 4-door fastback sedan 3-door estate
Layout	RR layout
Related	Volkswagen Type 3
Powertrain
Engine	1679 cc Flat-4 (1968-1973) 1795 cc Flat-4 (1973-1974)
Transmission	4-speed manual 3-speed automatic optional
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,500 mm (98.4 in)[1]
Length	4,553 mm (179.3 in) (411) 4,583 mm (180.4 in)[1] (412)
Width	1,675 mm (65.9 in)[1]
Height	1,475 mm (58.1 in)[1]
Curb weight	1,020 kg (2,249 lb) 2-door 411 1,120 kg (2,470 lb) Variant
Chronology
Successor	Volkswagen Passat

The Volkswagen Type 4 is a compact / midsize family car, manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen of Germany as a D‑segment car from 1968 to 1974 in two-door and four-door sedan as well as two-door station wagon body styles. The Type 4 evolved through two generations, the 411 (1968–1972) and 412 series (1972–1974).

Designed under the direction of Heinrich Nordhoff and introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 1968,^[2] the 411 was Volkswagen's largest passenger vehicle with the company's largest engine – with styling credited to Carrozzeria Pininfarina, who at the time had an advisory contract with Volkswagen.^[3] The cars retained VW's trademark air-cooled, rear placement, rear-wheel drive, boxer engine with a front/rear weight distribution of 45/55%^[3] and a forward cargo storage 400 L (14.1 cu ft)^[4] — while also introducing design and engineering departures for the company – including a completely flat passenger area floor and suspension using control arms and MacPherson struts. Volkswagen had prototyped a notchback sedan and convertible versions of the 411, without introducing them to production.

Over its six-year production run, Volkswagen manufactured 367,728 Type 4 models, compared with 210,082 of the subsequent Volkswagen K70 with its four-year model life. In the United States, VW sold 119,627 Type 4s from 1971 to July 1974 and in Germany 119,094 cars were sold. South Africa was the third biggest market for the Type 4 with 34,452 sales and the United Kingdom was fourth at 13,367.

Volkswagen's last air-cooled sedans and wagons, (aside from the Brasília which carried on until 1982) the Type 4 models were succeeded by the first generation Passat, marketed as the Dasher in the USA.