Can a small actor help make a Volkswagen seem large?
Hollywood is thick with short leading men. Did you know that Robert De Niro clocks in at just 5’6”? Joe Pesci is even shorter, measuring just 5’ 4” tall. Now, neither of these guys seems to have suffered much from their inability to reach things on the top shelf, as their resumes are chock full of great films.
1966 Volkswagen Fastback
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman, however—another great actor—seems to have scored an early role precisely because he was short. Standing 5’ 5”, Hoffman slots between De Niro and Pesci on the height chart, and was once employed by a carmaker to help make a relatively small car look larger. Don’t believe me? Read on…
For 1966, Volkswagen added a model to its Type 3 (sadly, that’s actually the model name) lineup. Joining the Type 3 Notchback (2-door sedan) and Squareback (wagon) in VW dealerships for ’66 was the Fastback. Though endowed with just two doors, VW referred to the Fastback as a sedan, and to boost sales, the maker was keen to exploits the car’s size. And, truth be known, the Fastback was larger and roomier than the Beetle (Type 1) it was sold alongside.
Commercial
To get the Fastback word out, VW’s ad folks produced a TV commercial featuring spokesperson Dustin Hoffman. Have a look:
There’s no chance that this author could have weaseled his way into the back seat, and then hopped into the front seating row. Hell, even Hoffman seemed to have a hard time executing the maneuver.
How Roomy?
While we believe that four Dustin-Hoffman-sized adults could fit comfortably in a 1966 Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback, we have concerns regarding several of the claims made by Hoffman during the commercial. And, it’s not that VW lied exactly, it’s that they may have suggested that the Fastbacks specs and performance were more impressive than they really were.
VW Type 3 Fastback versus Ford Falcon
To make our point, we will be comparing the Fastback to Ford’s then hyper-popular Falcon compact car. We are thus comparing VW’s largest car model, to Ford’s smallest. For the record, Ford sold more than 200,000 Falcons in 1966, while Volkswagen moved an estimate 25,000 Type 3 models.
Room for Four Adults
While this is claim is true, at least for less-than-full-sized adults, the Ford Falcon boasted room for six, thanks in part to its three-passenger front bench seat. The Ford was also actually a larger car, stretching 184 inches on a 111-inch wheelbase, compared to the Fastback’s 171-inch overall length on a 171-inch wheelbase.
Top Speed of 84 MPH
I’m not sure to whom 84 mph sounded good to in 1966, but in the U.S. that boast probably failed to impress even the most casual car fan. Dustin tells us that the Fastback is equipped with the most-powerful engine ever installed in a VW, which is rather depressing.
For 1966, all Type 3 models were equipped with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 65 horsepower. Note that earlier Type 3 models made do with 1.5-liter engines good for just 53 horses.
The Falcon, on the other hand, was offered with the buyer’s choice of there engines, the least-powerful of which was a 2.8-liter six rated at 105-horsepower. And though the Falcon did weight more (2800 pounds versus 2200), period testing put its top speed at up to 95 mph.
Trunk Space
So, the Type 3 boasts both a front trunk (“frunk”), and a rear truck. Did that combined space add up to much real room? Turns out, it did, but not too much more than the Falcon. The VW’s front compartment was good for about 7 cubic feet of space, while the rear compact added another 10. The Falcon’s only cargo compartment, the trunk, measure about 13 cubic feet. So, score one for the Volkswagen. Also, the engine was below the rear storage compartment. Giving away its location are the cooling vents stamped into the rear fenders.
Money
While Hoffman never gets around to prices, it is the money that likely kept the Falcon popular, and the Type 3 relatively obscure. In 1966, the Fastback started at $2250, while the Ford listed for $2171. In 2025 dollars, that’s $22,300 and $21,500 respectfully.
And while most folks familiar with Volkswagen at the time will tell you that the Type 3 was the better built, more reliable, and more fuel-efficient vehicle, the Ford offered so much more space and power for less money. Also, and this is key, the Ford wasn’t some “weird” import—it was comfortably familiar.
Back to the Space Thing
Modern estimates put the interior volume of the Type 3 Fastback at about 75 cubic feet. The less-expensive Falcon 2-door sedan came in around 90 feet. So, despite Dustin’s claims, the Volkswagen wasn’t really big enough, though thanks to his diminutive proportions, it kinda looked bigger. Now that’s acting.
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1966 Volkswagen Fastback Pictures
Click below for enlarged images