166 – The number of the beast… well almost!

Schwimmwagen – mention that word to anyone in the vehicle collecting world and it will conjure up a myriad of different views and opinions.

There is however, one universally shared piece of knowledge – they are incredibly expensive!

I guess that is to be expected. Of the fifteen thousand or so type 166’s produced the vast majority were issued to elite SS units. Those units had a reputation for being extremely aggressive and willing to absorb horrific losses. Coupled with the fact that seventy-five per cent were committed to the brutal war of attrition on the Eastern Front, it is hardly surprising that only a tiny fraction survived hostilities – and even less survived until now.

Estimates for the number of original type 166’s that remain today is around the one-hundred-and-fifty mark. Rarity and availability always contribute towards a vehicle’s value, but that is not the only factor with the VW type 166 Schwimmwagen.