Today's VW Squareback looks a little like Kermit the Frog. That beloved muppet is famous for singing It Isn't Easy Being Green, but will this verde Vee-dub's price make it easy spending the green?

You know what happens when you cut out one of a car's major structural elements? That's right, it ends up driving like a boneless chicken. And, in the case of yesterday's , it garners a 61% Crack Pipe loss. Now back to those topless Kate Middleton pictures.

The French engineer, Louis Réard, is credited with the invention of the bikini in 1946. Today's…

Not only does today's contender come with a roof but it's a long one at that, and, it isn't on fire. This might just warm your loins, because after all, who doesn't like them some Squareback?

The Type III originally debuted in 1961 as the Beetle's bigger bro. The Squareback, or more properly, Variant, arrived a year later, offering a versatile and commodious package. VW was not keen on annual visual updates, but they did improve the mechanicals on a pretty regular schedule, replacing axles that swing with a more competent IRS setup and ever larger displacements for the pancake four.

By the time this '71 was built, VW had made some visual changes as well, including larger tail lamps, a longer, more squared-off nose, and fatter, more awkward, but probably more effective, bumpers. The ones on this green machine look to still be in decent shape, including their chrome, although the front one has a ding in it. The rest of the car looks up to the task, and seems to be reasonably complete and original, right down to its wheel's trim rings and center caps. Up top, a strange roof rack looks permanently bolted in place. That's not stock and actually seems to be kind of J.C. Whitney if you know what I mean.

Inside, the Variant looks just as stock as the exterior, with the exception of a modern under-dash radio and kick panel mounted speakers. This car hails from an era of kneecap-splitting metal dashboards, but it is remarkable how shallow the whole thing is in relation to the airbagged and HVAC'd monstrosities of today. Vinyl seats and door trim may not fully embody the concept of traditional luxury, but the ability to clean the whole thing out with just a damp rag speaks volumes should you frequently draw the short straw as designated driver for your binge drinking buddies.

Notably, the Type III was the first volume production car offered with electronic fuel injection. Considering that back in the sixties, electronic meant transistors the size of your fingernails and ECUs with the processing power of a snail's synapse, you might think it was somewhat rudimentary. That would be selling the Bosch D-Jetronic short, but truth be told, at this age it may have a few gremlins. At 53-bhp, the aircooled 1600 won't be giving them, or you, whiplash.

Squarebacks are among the most desirable of aircooled Vee-dubs, for obvious reasons- they're good looking, have a lot of room, and are still reasonably cheap to maintain. What more could you ask? Well, you could ask for a lower price on this one, if you think it's not worth the $3,500 the seller requires.

What do you think, is that a price that would have you saying baby got Squareback? Or, is this a Variant that's priced for the very rich?

You decide!

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H/T to dmthemansavethempire for the hookup!

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