When Did Volkswagen Stop Making The Vanagon? (And What Does One Cost Today?)

The Vanagon, or T3, was the third generation of Volkswagen's iconic Type 2 bus. It was different in some ways from its predecessors, with new engines and a new design, but its rear-mounted engine was still traditional. As it would turn out, it would be the last rear-engined VW van, with the T4's design overhaul moving the engine to the front. When the Vanagon first launched in 1979, VW touted its roomier interior and better passenger safety than the second-generation Type 2.

Early model years had air-cooled engines that churned out just under 50 horsepower in base-spec form, and a diesel variant was introduced at the start of the '80s. Although it too produced around the same power output on paper, the diesel became notorious for being particularly slow. It only remained in production for a few years before it was discontinued. New, water-cooled gas engines with a notable power boost arrived by the mid-'80s.

Despite the iterative upgrades over its production run, the Vanagon's design needed a refresh by the end of the '80s. The T4, or Eurovan, arrived as its replacement in 1990, although the T3 remained in production in some markets until 1992.

Buying a Vanagon today doesn't have to be an expensive endeavor, but anyone who wants to get their hands on the most in-demand variants will have to stump up some significant cash. Sales data from Classic.com shows the average sale value of the Vanagon over the past five years to be around $22,600, although there's a huge range in recorded prices. The cheapest recorded sale achieved a mere $1,101 for a project T3 camper, while the priciest sale, a low-mileage 1987 Westfalia GL Syncro, fetched $72,000.

In general, Westfalia campers command a premium, as do vans equipped with Volkswagen's legendary Syncro all-wheel drive system. Even with age and condition being equivalent, these variations can make a huge difference to what buyers can expect to pay. To take an example, Hagerty values a base 1988 Vanagon in good condition at $11,500 on average, while a 1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg Limited Edition Camper Syncro is estimated to command $35,700. So, while there's a Vanagon variant for all kinds of van life enthusiasts, many of them won't come cheap.