When conversation meanders into the realms of holiday experiences and adventures, holidaying in Bali will ultimately slip into the top ten tropical destinations. Bali is inherently synonymous with surfing, shopping, partying and any other similar indulgent relaxation pleasures, and Bali talk will undoubtably elicit many vacation tales. For Terry Baker his holiday to Bali included all these things, along with a bonus adrenaline ride in a VW Type 182 (right hand drive)! The Type 181/182 was a post-war VW incarnation of the German Kubelwagen, which translates roughly as ‘bucket-car’. Volkswagen refined the concept enough for commercial production, but still maintained the pure, raw thrill of cheap open air commuting. They are better known as the Thing, a North American tag, and the Bali Thing epitomised all the attributes of this unusual, yet aptly named vehicle. Painted in bright yellow with orange stripes, Terry remembers it to be loud, uncomfortable, ill-handling, and with more rattles and shakes than Johnny O’Keefe! This was exactly the VW he wanted!
