Meet the Phaeton's Grandpa!

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll) 06/11/2015 at 15:57 • Filed to: None

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VW decided to show some of their rarer prototypes to the public in a limited-time-only exhibition in Wolfsburg. The cars include this EA 128 (EA stands for “Entwicklungsauftrag” or development order) a take on a luxury full sizer, powered by an air-cooled flat six from Porsche that sits in the back and drives the rear axles, which also came from Porsche. The styling is a bit bland to say the least, but come to think of it, the Pheaton isn’t much to write home about style-wise either. It’s supposed to wear the fur inside to keep you cozy, not outside to flash off to the peasants.

And look! They even thought about a flagship wagon! It’s like one of those rare coachbuilt S-class or 7-series wagons. One can only assume what it might have been to drive. My bet is that it could have spooked some drivers that might have gone for this engine-out-in-the-back set-up, instead for one of the more conventional German offerings at the time.

They are also displaying this Caddy MKIII. I never thought of the MKIII as a happy car, but this one seems to say “I like it when you shove all that stuff in ......” I’ll stop here.

And the actually not so rare “Car 2000” which has a weird Passat B3 vibe going, years before that saw the light of day.

A few more can be seen here:

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Jedidiah > Klaus Schmoll 06/11/2015 at 16:01

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Need more info

Rear engined presumably?

What engine?

Cé hé sin > Jedidiah 06/11/2015 at 16:04

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“powered by an air-cooled flat six from Porsche that sits in the back and drives the rear axles, which also came from Porsche.”

Jonee > Klaus Schmoll 06/11/2015 at 16:04

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That big car is hideous looking, but fascinating. With that motor in the back, it almost makes it a VW Tatra.

Klaus Schmoll > Jonee 06/11/2015 at 16:11

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Yeah that front really reminds one of Tatras.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jonee 06/11/2015 at 16:11

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Or the Corvagen.

Jonee > Klaus Schmoll 06/11/2015 at 16:15

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That’s the kind of face that an air-cooled motor in the trunk gives you. And it’s one only a mother could love.

Klaus Schmoll > Jonee 06/11/2015 at 16:17

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They could have at least slapped a chrome VW badge on there.

ranwhenparked > Klaus Schmoll 06/11/2015 at 21:24

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It would have most certainly been a lot more reliable than a Phaeton.

ciscokidinsf > Klaus Schmoll 06/23/2015 at 03:19

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This is awesome - Thanks - definitely Phaeton’s Grandpa...

The Perp > Klaus Schmoll 07/09/2015 at 17:44

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This thing is fantastic! I love it.

QQXQXL123 > Klaus Schmoll 07/09/2015 at 18:14

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I half wonder whether they were in the middle of grappling with the problem the Phaeton has - how do you make a Volkswagen (literally “people’s car”) which isn’t for the people? Maybe they were thinking of putting a different badge on it.

Turbonium2K > Klaus Schmoll 07/09/2015 at 20:35

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I actually really like this!

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Klaus Schmoll 07/09/2015 at 23:33

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Like a rolls Royce but...

Bluecold > Jonee 07/10/2015 at 07:17

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Patently untrue. There have been plenty of great looking cars without an ostentatious gaping-mouth grille. Think of the Citroen DS, SM, the Mazda RX7 and a host of other cars that kept their air inlet to strictly necessary sizes in contrast to modern day monstrosities in the name of ‘corporate face’. Audi started this shit and I think it’s crap.

venivelovici > Klaus Schmoll 07/10/2015 at 12:41

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Tell us more about this Passat-Amarok mashup back here, please! (I checked the link - there are no other pictures of this truck in the gallery.)

Klaus Schmoll > venivelovici 07/10/2015 at 12:48

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Nothing Passat or Amarok there. It’s a MKIII Golf. Kinda a successsor to this

venivelovici > Klaus Schmoll 07/10/2015 at 16:45

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Sorry, I meant Touareg, not Passat. It looks like a pickup bed behind the Touareg cab to me.

Klaus Schmoll > venivelovici 07/10/2015 at 18:01

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Now I get it! You are talking about the grey one behind the red car. I didn’t even pay attention to it before you mentioned it. It indeed looks like a Touareg pickup.