In production for 74 years, the VW Transporter had its origin on the floor of the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. A flat-bed VW Beetle-based mini-truck used for transporting parts on site was the original inspiration, and the original sketch made by Ben Pon, a visiting Dutch businessman, still exists. It demonstrated how the VW factory parts-mover could be transformed into a commercial-use vehicle.
VW designers proposed a panel-van in 1947, and this resulted in a bus prototype two years later. The 1949 iteration utilized the existing Beetle frame, but this proved to have insufficient strength for heavy loads. VW designers returned to the drawing board and created a second prototype, this time with a more durable unibody construction.
This vehicle went into production in 1950 as what was initially dubbed the Mk1 and quickly gained the name T1 Transporter. Powered by an air-cooled boxer engine and featuring a distinctive split-screen windshield, the T1 also gained the nickname “Splitty” for this unique feature. A large number of components including the transmission, engine, axles, and elements of the frame were taken directly from the Beetle. Panel versions of the T1, called the “Bull” for its utilitarian design, did not have windows extending beyond the passenger seat, as they were designed for transport.
Produced from 1950 to 1967, the T1 was offered in panel van, passenger van, and eight-seater versions as production ramped up. The most popular model gained the moniker Kombi (combination people/cargo hauler) for its rear compartment passenger seats, which were easily removable so that cargo could be loaded into the space. The Samba bus (Microbus DeLuxe) upgraded the Kombi’s passenger capacities, adding more windows and details such as a wet bar, folding sunroof, and abundant exterior chrome. On the other end of the use spectrum, VW introduced a Transporter pickup in 1952 designed for commercial use. Its fold-down sides of the bed allowed for handling of bulky items larger than the vehicle itself (so long as they were not too heavy).
The 1953 introduction of the Westfalia provided a fully-equipped camper ideal for family vacations. At around this time, outside companies began to modify VW vans in force, with fire-brigade, food truck, and ice-cream van iterations appearing on city streets.
The Transporter proved to be popular, and by 1954 the 100,000 production mark was reached on the Wolfsburg assembly line. The horsepower was increased from 25 to 30, and models were now produced with right-hand drive, which allowed sales in England and other right-hand-drive countries. The commercially available VW bus arrived in the United States in the mid 1950s.
By 1956 Wolfsburg production was maxed out, and Transporter production was shifted to van-specific facilities in Hanover, Germany. Among the innovations of the camper-van production floor were automated painting booths and ceiling-mounted cranes, as well as traditional oom-pa music on loudspeakers at all hours.
A major design evolution occurred in 1967 with introduction of the Type 2 Transporter. Known as the Bay, it had a more powerful engine with a higher maximum speed of 80 mph, and a larger body able to handle bigger loads. This design aesthetic reached its apogee in 1975 with the introduction of the Bay Camper Bus, which reconfigured windows and interior features in ways specifically designed for those who wanted to take extended family vacations, go on “surfaris,” or follow jam bands around the nation.
