Volkswagen Type 2

Volkswagen Type 2
Overview
ManufacturerVolkswagen
Also called
ProductionNovember 1949[1] – present
Body and chassis
ClassLight commercial vehicle (M)
Body style
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)
PlatformVolkswagen Group T platform
Chronology
SuccessorVolkswagen ID. Buzz (Type 2 RWD)

The Volkswagen Type 2 is a forward control light commercial vehicle introduced in 1950 by the German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model. Known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, or, informally, as the Volkswagen Station Wagon[2] (US), Bus[2] (also US), Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), it was given the factory designation Type 2 as it followed – and was initially derived from – Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 (Beetle).[3]

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 in the 1960s, including the Ford Econoline, the Dodge A100, and the Chevrolet Corvair 95 Corvan, the latter adapting the rear-engine configuration of the Corvair car in the same manner in which the VW Type 2 adapted the Type 1 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 the "microbus", "minibus",[4] and, because of its popularity during the counterculture movement of the 1960s, "Hippie van/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.[5] 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.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Walters, p.46 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Murilee Martin (15 April 2019). "1966: Early Volkswagen Bus makes a great restaurant". Autoweek. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  3. ^ "History of the Volkswagen bus". Brinse.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  4. ^ Patinkin, Mark (28 July 2009). "1969 was the most tumultuous and normal year". Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  5. ^ Tisshaw, Mark (24 October 2012). "End of the road for Volkswagen camper". Autocar. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.

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