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The Iltis is a military vehicle made by Volkswagen engineered by VW owned Audi and then produced by Bombardier . VW built the Iltis to replace the ageing Volkswagen 181 's and DKW's Munga at the request of the Bundeswehr (German Army). When VW/Audi were engineering the Iltis they had competition from Mercedes-Benz with their new Mercedes G-Wagen . When the German Army tested the Mercedes G series against the VW they found the VW performed better thereby giving Volkswagen the contract. More than 8,000 units were produced by VW for the German army and later Bombardier produced 1,900 units for the Canadian army and 2,500 for the Belgian army. The word Iltis means Polecat in German. It shared parts from many VW models, including the Golf and Type 181 'Thing' . The Iltis was the pioneer of the Audi Quattro AWD system. Rally Success Volkswagen had success early with the Iltis winning the 1980 Paris-Dakar outright, VW also placed 2nd, 4th & 9th outright that same year. 4WD Technology The original prototype version of the Audi Quattro drivetrain came from this military vehicle. The engines in this vehicle were a 1.7l inline 4 gasoline powered engine and later a 1.6l inline 4 turbo diesel engine. The Iltis used a revolutionary drive train design consisting of a forward tranasaxle with five forward gear and a reverse, with the first gear being extremely low for off road driving. The front axle drive was selectable within this transaxle. The rear drive is constantly engaged through a longitudal driveshaft from the rear of the transaxle to the fixed rear differential. Both front and rear differentials could be equipped with locking mechanisms, although most vehicles were produced with only a locking rear axle. The use of this drivetrain eliminated the weight and complexity of having a separate transfer case and facilitated the use of four wheel independent suspension with parts interchangability between all four corners of the vehicle. The Iltis came with a rollover bar, and a PVC soft top. They were produced from 1978 - 1988 . Retirement & Enthusiast Scene The Iltis is being gradually replaced by other light vehicles including variants of the venerable Mercedes G-Wagen that was developed to compete with the Iltis in the late seventies. Numerous Iltis are still in active service with the German and Belgian armies. Some off-road enthusiasts in Canada and elsewhere have sought used Iltis, and created a market for them as military surplus vehicles. Barely more than a hundred were originally produced as civilian vehicles. Most of the usable Iltis come from the German army, which put them for sale in lots, regardless of their condition. The Canadian army sells off its surplus Iltis only when they are in a complete state of mechanical exhaustion, and are falling apart from a combination of old age and excessive use. The Belgian government decided in 2005 to replace the Iltis. In future new Iveco jeeps also used by the Italian and British army will be used. EXTERNAL LINKS Canadian reseller of surplus Iltis trucks Detailed History Technological Photos Official VW PR |
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