Volkswagen · 1949–present

Volkswagen Samba

The Volkswagen Transporter, initially the Type 2, is a range of light commercial vehicles, built as vans, pickups, and cab-and-chassis variants, introduced in 1950 by the German automaker Volkswagen. It was the company's second mass-production light motor vehicle series, and was inspired by an idea and request from Dutch VW importer Ben Pon. Known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus—or informally as the Volkswagen Station Wagon (US), Bus (also US), Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), it was initially given the factory designation "Type 2", as it followed—and was for decades based on—the original Volkswagen ("People's Car"), which became VW's "Type 1" after the company's post-World War II reboot, and mostly known, in many languages, as the "Beetle". The Volkswagen Transporter has been built in many variants. It is best known for its panel vans, but it was also built as a small bus or minivan, with choices of up to 23 windows and either hinged or sliding side doors. From the first generation, both regular and crew-cab, as well as long- and short-bed pickups, were made, and multiple firms sprang up to manufacture varying designs of camper vans, based on VW's Transporter models, to this day. For the first 40 years, all VW Type 2 variants were forward control, with a VW-Beetle-derived flat-four engine in the rear, and all riding on the same (initial thirty years—T1 and T2), or similar (T3), 2.40 m (94 in) wheelbase as the Type 1 Beetle. As a result, all forward-control Type 2 pickups were either of standard-cab, long-bed or crew-cab, short-bed configuration, and because of the relatively high bed floor (above the rear, flat engine), most pickups came with drop sides in addition to the tailgate. In 1979, the third-generation Type 2 introduced an all-new, more square and boxy body, and in the 1980s also introduced a raised four-wheel-drive bus variant. With the introduction of the fourth-generation Transporter in 1990, the vehicle layout changed to a more common front-engined one—no longer forward-control—and also changed from rear- to front-wheel drive, with four-wheel–drive remaining optional. From then on, the platform no longer shared technological legacy with the Beetle, and Volkswagen just called them the Transporter rather than the Type 2. The new models, though growing a bit in length, got a significantly longer wheelbase that pushed the wheels closer to the truck's corners, noticeably reducing its front and rear overhangs, and extended-wheelbase models were also introduced.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Legacy of the Type 2

As one of the forerunners of the modern cargo and passenger vans, the Type 2 gave rise to forward control competitors in the United States during the 1960s, including the Ford Econoline, the Dodge A100, and the Chevrolet Corvair 95 Corvan—the last adapting the rear-engine configuration of the Corvair car in the same manner in which the VW Type 2 adapted the Type 1's layout. European competition included the 1947–1981 Citroën H Van, the 1959–1980 Renault Estafette (both FF layout), the 1952–1969 semi-forward-control Bedford CA and the 1953–1965 FR layout Ford Transit. Japanese manufacturers also introduced similar vehicles such as the Nissan Caravan, Toyota LiteAce and Subaru Sambar. Like the Beetle, the van has received numerous nicknames worldwide, including "microbus", "minibus", and, because of its popularity in the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s, "hippie van" and "hippie bus". Brazil contained the last factory in the world that produced the T2 series of Type 2, which ceased production on 31 December 2013 due to the introduction of more stringent safety regulations in the country. This (after the 2002 termination of its T3 successor in South Africa) marked the end of the era of rear-engine Volkswagens, which originated in 1935 with their Type 1 prototypes.

History

The concept for the Type 2 is credited to Dutch Volkswagen importer Ben Pon. It has similarities in concept to the 1920s Rumpler Tropfenwagen and 1930s Dymaxion car by Buckminster Fuller, neither of which reached production. Pon visited Wolfsburg in 1946, intending to purchase Type 1s for import to the Netherlands, where he saw a Plattenwagen, an improvised parts-mover based on the Type 1 chassis, and realized something better was possible using the stock Type 1 pan. He first sketched the van in a doodle dated 23 April 1947, proposing a payload of 690 kg (1,520 lb) and placing the driver at the very front. Said sketch is now on display at the Rijksmuseum. Production would have to wait, however, as the Volkswagen factory was at capacity producing the Type 1. When capacity freed up, a prototype known internally as the Type 29 was produced in a short three months. The stock Type 1 pan proved to be too weak, so the prototype used a ladder chassis with unit body construction. Coincidentally, the wheelbase was the same as the Type 1's. Engineers reused the reduction gear from the Type 82, enabling the 1.5 ton van to use a 25 hp (19 kW) flat four engine. Although the aerodynamics of the first prototypes were poor (with an initial drag coefficient of Cd=0.75), engineers used the wind tunnel at the Technical University of Braunschweig to optimize the design. Simple changes such as splitting the windshield and roofline into a "vee" helped the production Type 2 achieve Cd=0.44, exceeding the Type 1's Cd=0.48. Volkswagen's new chief executive officer Heinz Nordhoff (appointed on 1 January 1948) approved the van for production on 19 May 1949, and the first production model, now designated Type 2, rolled off the assembly line to debut on 12 November. Only two models were offered: the

Variants

The Type 2 was available as a: Panel van, a delivery van without side windows or rear seats. Double-door Panel Van, a delivery van without side windows or rear seats and cargo doors on both sides. High Roof Panel Van (German: Hochdach), a delivery van with raised roof. Kombi, from German: Kombinationskraftwagen (combination motor vehicle), with side windows and removable rear seats, both a passenger and a cargo vehicle combined. Bus, also called a Volkswagen Caravelle, a van with more comfortable interior reminiscent of passenger cars since the third generation. Lotação (share taxi), a version exclusive to Brazil, with six front-hinged doors for the passenger area and four bench-seats, catering to the supplemental public transport segment. Available from 1960 to 1989 in both the split-window and "clipper" (fitted with the bay-window front panel) bodystyles. Samba-Bus, a van with skylight windows and cloth sunroof, first generation only, also known as a Deluxe Microbus. They were marketed for touring the Alps. Flatbed pickup truck, or Single Cab, also available with wider load bed. Crew cab pick-up, a flatbed truck with extended cab and two rows of seats, also called a Doka, from German: Doppelkabine. Westfalia camping van, "Westy", with Westfalia roof and interior. Included optional "pop up" top. Adventurewagen camping van, with high roof and camping units from Adventurewagen. Semi-camping van that can also still be used as a passenger car and transporter, sacrificing some camping comforts. "Multivan" or "Weekender", available from the third generation on. Apart from these factory variants, there were a multitude of third-party conversions available, some of which were offered through Volkswagen dealers. They included, but were not limited to, refrigerated vans, hearse

First generation (T1; 1950)

The first generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 with the split windshield, informally called the Microbus, Splitscreen, or Splittie among modern fans, was produced from 8 March 1950 until the end of the 1967 model year. From 1950 to 1956, the T1 (not called that at the time) was built in Wolfsburg; from 1956 to 1967, it was built at the new Transporter factory in Hanover. Like the Beetle, the first Transporters used the 1100 Volkswagen air-cooled engine, a 1,131 cc (69.0 cu in), DIN-rated 25 PS (18.4 kW; 24.7 bhp), air-cooled flat-four-cylinder "boxer" engine mounted in the rear. This was upgraded to the 1200 – a 1,192 cc (72.7 cu in) 30 PS (22.1 kW; 29.6 bhp) unit in 1953. A higher compression ratio became standard in 1955; while an unusual early version of the 34 PS (25.0 kW; 33.5 bhp) engine debuted exclusively on the Type 2 in 1959. Any 1959 models that retain that early engine today are rare. Since the engine was discontinued almost immediately, no spare parts were made available. The early versions of the T1 until 1955 were often called the "Barndoor" (retrospectively called T1a since the 1990s), owing to the enormous rear engine cover, while the later versions with a slightly modified body (the roofline above the windshield is extended), smaller engine bay, and 15" roadwheels instead of the original 16" ones are nowadays called the T1b (again, only called this since the 1990s, based on VW's retrospective T1, 2, 3, 4 etc. naming system). From the 1964 model year onwards, when the rear door was made wider (same as on the bay-window or T2), the vehicle could be referred to as the T1c. That year also saw the introduction of an optional sliding door for the passenger/cargo area instead of the outwardly hinged doors typical of cargo vans. In 1962, a heavy-duty Transporte

Second generation (T2; 1967)

In late 1967, the second generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 (T2) was introduced. It was built in West Germany until 1979. In Mexico, the Volkswagen Kombi and Panel were produced from 1970 to 1994. Early models are often called the T2a (or "Early Bay"), models after 1971 are called the T2b (or "Late Bay") and models after 1991 are called the T2c. This second-generation Type 2 lost its distinctive split front windshield, and was 22.5 cm (9 in) longer and considerably heavier than its predecessor. Its common nicknames are "Breadloaf" and "Bay-window", or "Loaf" and "Bay" for short. At 1.6 L and 35 kW (48 PS; 47 bhp) DIN, the engine was also slightly larger. The battery and electrical system was upgraded to 12 volts, making it incompatible with electric accessories from the previous generation. The new model eliminated the swing axle rear suspension and transfer boxes previously used to raise ride height. Instead, half-shaft axles fitted with constant velocity joints raised ride height without the wild changes in camber of the Beetle-based swing axle suspension. The updated Bus transaxle is sought by off-road racers using air-cooled Volkswagen components. T2b. The T2b was introduced by way of gradual change over three years. The first models featured rounded bumpers incorporating a step for use when the door was open (replaced by indented bumpers without steps on later models), front doors that opened to 90° from the body, no lip on the front guards, unique engine hatches, and crescent air intakes in the D-pillars (later models after the Type 4 engine option was offered, have squared off intakes). The 1971 Type 2 featured a new, 1.6 L engine with dual intake ports on each cylinder head and was DIN-rated at 37 kW (50 PS; 50 bhp). An important change came with the introduct

Third generation (T3; 1979)

The Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), known as the T25 in the United Kingdom and as the Vanagon in the United States, was introduced in 1979, and saw the introduction of the T3 platform, and was one of the last new Volkswagen platforms to use an air-cooled engine. The Volkswagen air-cooled engine was phased out for a water-cooled boxer engine (still rear-mounted) in 1983. Compared to its predecessor, the T3 was larger and heavier, with square corners replacing the rounded edges of the older models. The T3 is sometimes called "the wedge" by enthusiasts to differentiate it from earlier generations.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Volkswagen Type 2

Manufacturer

Volkswagen

aka

Volkswagen Bus, Volkswagen Kombi, Volkswagen Transporter

Production

November 1949 – present

Successor

Volkswagen ID. Buzz (Type 2 RWD)

Class

Light commercial vehicle (M)

Body style

4/5-door panel van, 4/5-door minibus, 2-door pickup (regular cab), 3-door pickup (crew cab)

Platform

Volkswagen Group T platform

Layout

Longitudinal Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive (T1–T3), Longitudinal Rear-engine, four-wheel-drive (T3), Transverse Front-engine, front-wheel-drive (T4–present), Transverse Front-engine, four-wheel-drive (T4–present)

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Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7408947CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Type_2CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1376956191 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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