Type 183, more commonly known as the Iltis (German for polecat), is a military vehicle built by Volkswagen for use by the German military. The Iltis was formerly built under licence in Canada by Bombardier Inc.
The German military had been part of a cooperative effort, beginning in the late 1960s, to create what was dubbed the "Europa Jeep", an amphibious four wheel drive vehicle for military use. Production began in the summer of 1978 .
Although most of the units produced were four-doored with open tops, ambulance, anti-tank, artillery survey, command and field communications units with varying body styles were also in production.
In 1980 Freddy Kottulinsky and Gerd Löffelmann had won the Paris-Dakar Rally in an Audi-prepared Iltis.