Some cars are destined for CC-status and classic water-cooled VWs, despite their fragility, always seem to find someone happy and willing to keep them alive. That’s especially true of diesel engined-variants, especially rarer versions like the Rabbit pickup here, spotted by S. Forrest. A number of us might not be so tolerant of the modifications made it, but there are enough A1-chassis Rabbits running around with their Westmoreland front clips in tact. Actually, the earlier versions with the European front end are seen much less frequently, so to the purists I’d say, “if you have nothing nice to say…”

Having been built only in Westmoreland and Sarajevo, the facilities which produced these trucklets are dead, the latter plant no longer assembling full cars. Production continued in South Africa until about 2007, and I suspect that’s where the grille, complete with driving lights, was sourced. The long-lived nature of the A1-chassis Golf is a boon to its currents fans and as a lover of these cars, they’re always on my short list of what to buy next. Whether I’d be able to put in a TDI engine as this owner apparently has (believable because there’s enough commonality with the A3 platform where it made its debut in the Golf), I’m less sure, but its a combination of light bodywork, hauling capacity and torque good enough to lend substance behind the serious flat green paintwork. A more strictly urban get-up would suit my tastes better, but this Caddy is ready for battle.