“Transporter”, “Tetris”, “Bulli”, “Cartoon” or simply “Bus”: the list of nicknames for the cult mono cab is almost endless. However, the line of its life seems even more endless: the Volkswagen Type 2 (namely, that was the official name of the model) changed six generations, tried on an incredible number of roles, and became the favorite of a huge number of people around the world.
Source: Vintage Car Collector
The British were biting their nails when small, “bug-eyed” vans and buses with a huge VW logo on the front began the victorious march conquering the world. Immediately after World War II, the British contemptuously refused to take the plant out of Wolfsburg on account of reparations: the rear-engined “cuttlefish” seemed to them unpromising. However, in just a couple of years, “Beetles” were selling all over the world. And then, in 1967, the Volkswagen Type 2 was introduced: a family of rear-engined cargo and passenger vans almost as fast as the Beetle, gained popularity.
Source: Wallpaper Flare
Volkswagen T1 is considered the forerunner of all modern minivans and minibusses. It was one of the first (after the Citroen H Van) mass-produced vehicles of a wagon layout, with a one-volume body and a cab located above the front axle. Its idea came to Dutch importer of Volkswagen Ben Pon, who visited the factory in Wolfsburg in 1947 and saw a homemade Beetle-based pickup truck built by workers. Pon immediately sketched a small truck, which he thought would be in great demand in post-war Europe, and proposed the corresponding design to Volkswagen CEO Heinz Nordhoff. Nordhoff included a new vehicle in the production program in 1949 when a free assembly line appeared at the factory. The prototype of the van was developed in just three months, but to optimize the design, it was tested in the wind tunnel of the Technical University of Braunschweig, reducing the drag coefficient from 0.75 to 0.44. The serial version was named Volkswagen T1 (Transporter). Then came the next generation of minibusses: T2 (1967-1979) and T3 (1979-1992).
Source: Flickr
The start of the Volkswagen T2 fell in the era of hippies and rock, under the slogan: “Music, love and flowers”, the irresistible craving of young people for freedom, and therefore for travel. For such clients, the “bull” (it was in those years that the nickname “Bulli” appeared) was the best fit. It was convenient, not only to travel but also to live. There was also a certain element of resistance in love for the German “trailer”: cheap, three times less power than the simplest American sedan, the engine chirping funny from behind – no bourgeois pretentiousness and pomposity. In general, an almost perfect symbol of automotive democracy. The second generation of these cute mini buses was made at the new plant in Hannover in 1967. Later, cars were also produced in Mexico, Argentina, Australia, and Brazil (until 2013). The base was a 1.6-liter engine with 48 hp (since 1971 – 50 hp). Then there were units with a volume of 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 liters (1979). A four-speed manual remained basic, with a three-speed automatic as an option. In addition to the four-speed mechanics, a three-range hydro-mechanical automatic became available to mini buses, a sliding door on the starboard side was included in the list of basic equipment, and such a necessary “trifle” as adjustable air vents appeared in the cabin. A total of 3.93 million copies were released on all continents during the existence of a second generation.
Source: Wallpaper Flare
Not surprisingly, there are many celebrities among the owners of the VW Type II. This daring four-wheeled car won the hearts of celebrities around the world. Famous people who own and drive the 1979 models include Hugh Jackman, Jamie Oliver, Robbie Williams, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and many more.
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