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I learned to drive stick shift in a Volkswagen pickup truck. And yes, it was in the U.S. My dad had a Volkswagen Rabbit “Caddy” pickup truck from the 1970s. Volkswagen has continued to build small “ute” size pickup trucks on its unibody chassis, including the Amarok and Rigid. But it doesn’t sell them here.

Someone in Florida decided to do something about that. Instead of taking the easy route and importing an older Rigid from Mexico, they built a “ute” out of a recent Jetta. And the result is glorious. “Ute” stands for utility and in Australia it is a common nickname for their two-door car-based pickup trucks (think modern variations on the El Camino).

These crazy/brilliant modifiers started with a 2006 turbodiesel Jetta. They cut down the Volkswagen’s back seat and trunk and used a kit from Smyth to add a pickup truck utility bed. But that’s not all.

The bed of a modified VW Jetta pickup truck.
2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Ute | Cars & Bids

Stock, the TDI engine makes just 100 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. The upside of that is 41 mpg on the highway. But the builders decided a truck deserves more power, so they threw a stage 1 ECU tune at the Volkswagen.

To put this power down to the road they opted for wider Porsche rims that fit with adapters (from a 2004 91 4S). They also installed tasteful fender flares to cover the additional rubber. The result is an eye-catching aggressive stance.

VW Jetta with compact "ute" pickup truck body parked on a beach at dusk, its headlights lit up.
2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Ute | Cars & Bids

A slight spoiler on the rear tailgate completes the look. My favorite detail is the funky “Volkswagen Ute” logo on the truck’s new tailgate. Below that is a little “Turbo Diesel” logo.

All-in-all, this is a wildly unique vehicle. It is both sporty and practical and like nothing else on U.S. roads. The current owner is in California, though the truck spent part of its life in Florida. Right now, it is for sale on Cars & Bids. The downside is that this thing has 239,000 miles. It looks like there has been a ton of work done, including a transmission service and engine timing belt. But its next owner should probably be comfortable working on a VW TDI engines, or hiring someone to do that. The owner does claim that despite an EGR system recalibration, it still passes California smog.

Next, see a review of the original Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck in the video below:

Related Meet the Rabbit: A Radwood-Era Classic, Engineered to Replace the VW Beetle, That You Can Get as a Convertible—or a Tiny Diesel Truck!

Meet the Rabbit: A Radwood-Era Classic, Engineered to Replace the VW Beetle, That You Can Get as a Convertible—or a Tiny Diesel Truck!

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.