Cat-eyes

A unique feature of 1962 VW 1500s is the so-called "cat-eye" mirror, sought after by Type 3 cultists for its Forward Look style and relative rarity. All 1500s had them in '62, Ghias as well as sedans and Variants, and though the mounting threads were slightly shallower on the Ghia version the mirrors themselves were identical. At the beginning of the 1963 model year the cat-eye design was replaced with a simpler oval-shaped mirror. I recently found another cat-eye and was surprised when I compared it to the one I already had.


The design of the mount where it meets the mirror itself is very different on the two mirrors. Judging from their appearance and condition both mirrors appear to be original and unmodified, with the glass intact, so the difference doesn't seem to be the result of someone's later improvisation.



Did VW use more than one supplier? Or was the design changed mid-year during the production run? The mount on the mirror on the right in the photo above seems to be a weaker design, possibly prone to rotating if the interior mounting nut loosened, so it might be an earlier iteration. The mount style on the left above was also used in the subsequent 1963 mirror design, which supports this theory, but without more information it's all speculation.