VW Bus History
The German carmaker, Volkswagen, manufactured VW buses. The first production of the Transporter, which is another name for VW bus, was in 1947 shortly after the World War II. VW buses generally fall under the following models: Volkswagen Type 2(T1), Volkswagen Type 2 (T2), Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), Volkswagen Type 4, and Volkswagen Type 5. Germans view the Volkswagen buses as a symbol of national pride. Overseas, the VW buses had a quirky reputation.
Volkswagen Type 2 (T1), generation T1
Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) is the first variant of Volkswagen Type 2 with production lines in Europe, US, and Brazil. Production started in 1950 and ended in 1975. Within which time there was about three assembly plants worldwide; two in Germany (Wolfsburg and Hannover) and one in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. It was the first ever Volkswagen Transporter T1 with split windshield hence it was nicknamed the split screen. Other names are microbus, and Splittie.
The launch of the bus in a highly saturated and competitive market with the likes of Corvair 95 Corvan, and others did not stop the car from gaining popularity as a cargo cum pickup truck in the United States. It also came in handy as a passenger van. Ben Pon, a Dutch Volkswagen importer first came up with the idea of renovating generation T1 into Volkswagen Type 2 (T2): As it turns out, in 1946, Ben Pon was in Wolfsburg to export VW buses to Holland. He came up with the idea of improving on Volkswagen Type 2(T1), but the idea only translated into Volkswagen Type 2 (T2) four months later. There are different models of Volkswagen Type 2. Two popular models are the Samba bus and, panel van.
Other models are:
- Late 1970s T2b Ambulance
- Brazilian Water-cooled Volkswagen Type 2
- The 1968 Volkswagen Type 2
- The 1979 Volkswagen Type 2
- Brazilian Water-cooled Volkswagen Type 2
- Brazilian Volkswagen Type 2
- Volkswagen Kombi
Volkswagen Type 2 (T2)
Volkswagen Type 2 (T2) is the second variant of the Volkswagen Type 2 commercial buses manufactured in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. Of the three production plants, only the one in Brazil still manufactures the VW bus to date. German plants are located in Emden and Hannover. T2 comes in two separate transmissions: the 4-speed manual and the 3-speed automatic with a 2,400 mm and 4,505 mm wheelbase.
Volkswagen Type 2 (T3)
First production was in 1980 and another name for it is the T25. It was originally design with an air-cooled engine and the technology was later abandon in favour of the water-cooled boxer engine. The T3 is larger, and heavier than earlier Volkswagen T2 variants.
Volkswagen Transporter (T4), generation T4
The first set of Volkswagen Transporter (T4) (Volkswagen Eurovan) roll out the production line in 1995. T4 was the first water-cooled engine and front-mounted Volkswagen bus— the two things that make T4 Volkswagen different from earlier variants.
Production of T4 started in 1990 and ended in 2003. It is one of the longest productions in length for a VW bus model. The T4 has five body types and two standard wheelbases. The body types are the kombi Van or Halk-Panel, the Panel Van, Westfalia, Doka, and Caravele/Multivan.
Volkswagen plants in Hannover, Germany and Jakarta, Indonesia handled productions of the Volkswagen Transporter (T4). Production started from 1990 and ended in 2003. T4 is a light commercial vehicle with 4-door minivan, 3-door minivan, and campervan body style. It is available in both 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual. There is also a short-wheelbase as well as long-wheelbase versions.
Volkswagen Transport (T5)
Volkswagen Transporter (T5) is light and a superb commercial vehicle with a van body style. T5 is the fifth generation of VW bus and first production was in 6 October 2002; however, full production was delayed until the 25 April 2003. Some models run on either petrol engines or diesel engines with transmission ranging from 5-speed manual to 7-speed DSG.
The Volkswagen Transporter (T5) was very popular in Turkey, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Production of the Volkswagen Transporter (T5) continues to this day with assembly plants in Germany, Poland, and Indonesia. The T5 is also nicknamed Volkswagen Multivan and Volkswagen Caravelle.