The Type 2 was the second vehicle designed and produced by Volkswagen. Since it was such a revolutionary vehicle, there are many interesting facts about it. Here are just a few of the best facts about the Type 2.
The Type 2 was inspired by a Dutch Importer
The Dutch importer Ben Pon was in Wolfsburg, in 1946, to place an order for Type 1s (Beetle) for import to the Netherlands. However, while at the factory, he saw an improvised Plattenwaggen, based on the Type 1 chassis which was used to move parts around the factory. He felt that this was a concept that could be built upon. So he penned the concept for a van in 1947, which is attributed to be the founding point for the Type 2.
The Type 2 was the first ever panel van
Panel vans are everywhere now, but back then, people mostly used small pickup trucks for commercial applications. But in 1950, when the Type 2 was launched, Volkswagen offered a ‘commercial’ model, which featured a completely covered rear end, while the driver cab was separate to the back end. The van featured a panel on the side to access the back from the side, hence the creation of the panel-van. The commercial model proved to be very popular as people could keep tools and goods from getting wet. However, the panel-van is not the only section of vans that was revolutionized by the Type 2……
The Type 2 created the blueprint for modern campervans
Until 1951, if you wanted to go camping in your vehicle, your only option was a car-pulled caravan. While this was an okay solution, caravans were impractical and expensive. But in 1951, Volkswagen released the ‘Samba’, version of the Type 2 with skylight windows. The Samba was designed to tour the Alps and other natural attractions. However the Samba wasn’t used as a campervan until 1952, when Westphalia created a conversion kit for the Samba where you could replace the standard bench seat interior with beds and a makeshift kitchen. Ever since then, Volkswagen and other companies have built on this basic concept that was created 7 decades ago. Speaking of a long time….
The Type 2 is the vehicle with the third longest production run in history
The Type 2 has stood the test of time, even if the name hasn’t. This is shown by the fact that the only other vehicles with longer production runs are the Chevrolet Suburban and the Ford F-Series truck. The popularity and simplicity of the Bus meant that Volkswagen never had to replace the nameplate with a newer one, as they did with the Beetle (which was succeeded by the Golf). Volkswagen simply chose to keep the name alive but continued to update the model through each generation. To date, there have been 7 generations of the Type 2, although the Type 2 name was replaced by the Transporter name for the T4 (Fourth generation). The latest, T7 generation is an electric van heavily inspired by the original T1. True Volkswagen enthusiasts can only hope that the Type 2 continues to stand the test of time through the future.
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