I have never seen/head of one of these... discuss.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volkswagen-Bus-Vanagon-ULTRA-CLEAN-1986-Volkswagen-VANAGON-SYNCRO-VW-4X4-Virtually-CORROSION-FREE-/281241980495?forcerrptr=true&hash=item417b540e4f&item=281241980495&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
A Synchro. Not that obscure. Transmissions are the weak point, I think, and they have a real cult following. Make it a Westfalia and throw a Subaru engine in the back and you've got the ultimate Vanagon for a lot of people. I think their major off-road limitation is a lack of articulation.
High on the cool scale.
Awesome, Surprisingly capable and quite expensive. All of the Vanagon interior tricks that predate the Toyota Previa "innovations" are still there.
But the one you want is a Tristar Syncro Doka
Even more expensive though.
That thing is super cool. Reminds me of the one that these folks are going around the world in!
Drive Nacho Drive
SCCA used to have one of those (hmm...this could be it!) to haul the autocross equipment trailer to Pro Solo and National Tour events. I actually drove it from Ogden, Utah to San Francisco, through the Rockies, towing the trailer. On those long mountain grades, we had to get over in the right lane with the big rigs, and gear down to second! Do you remember "The Little Engine That Could?"