Do you know the best-kept secret of this Volkswagen T3?

Despite how brilliant vans are, it is quite difficult to justify a high price for a used Volkswagen T3. However, this particular example is not a typical Transporter, because underneath the skin of the Volkswagen it is actually a Porsche, and quite a rare one.

The story of this van began in 1985, when engineers at Porsche needed a quick way to transport spare parts for the 959 rally car during its Paris-Dakar campaign. The Volkswagen T3 was considered too slow and unable to keep up with the rally, so they carried out a series of modifications.

The most important was the addition of a six-cylinder engine mounted at the rear, taken from a Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera that produced 231 CV and allowed a top speed of 185 km/h. Power was sent to the rear axle through a Porsche gearbox, while a new suspension setup and more robust brakes completed the mechanical upgrades.

The Volkswagen T3 converted into a Porsche

Visually, the B32 was distinguished by its front and rear spoilers, the set of Fuchs 16-inch wheels, additional side vents to cool the engine and a larger exhaust pipe. The interior was upholstered in leather, although the most notable feature is the Porsche crest on the steering wheel and the extra gauges at the lower end of the centre console.

It is believed that only seven examples of the Volkswagen T3 B32 were built at Porsche’s Welcherath workshop. The unit being offered for sale by the Porsche Classic Center Gelderland in the Netherlands is a genuine example made specifically for Peter W. Schutz, who was Porsche’s CEO at the time. This makes it considerably more valuable than the many Transporters converted into Porsche models after the fact.

According to the listing, the van has a Porsche VIN and is classified as a Porsche vehicle in its German documents. It was produced in 1985, but was first registered in July 1988 and shows 13,770 km on the odometer. Despite its age, the T3 B32 remains in good condition overall, although the special “Pearl Mutter” paint needs some maintenance work, the exhaust pipe is rusted and the front door panels need re-upholstering.

Limited-production models from Zuffenhausen tend to carry high prices, but asking €364,900 for a used special edition of a Volkswagen LCV minivan sounds somewhat excessive.