- VW Transporter celebrates 75th anniversary
- First ‘T1’ went into production March 1950
- Spawned other ‘buses’; Caravelle, Multivan, California and ID. Buzz
- Milestone T5 launched in 2003
Let’s give the birthday bumps to a true commercial vehicle icon - the VW Transporter - which is celebrating its 75th this week.
The first Transporter - called the ‘T1’ - first went into production back in March 1950 and remains one of the most popular vans in Europe.
You can lease one with Select here - and we’ve also got the new electric e-Transporter.
Meanwhile you can also get behind the wheel of a Volkswagen bus in the form of the retro-futuristic ID. Buzz Cargo.
That initial Transporter has helped spawn countless other models lines, from panel vans to campers.
And a VW spokesperson tells us: “They all carry the DNA of the multifunctional T1 in their design and layout to this day. And that’s how it will stay.”
Here’s a brief history:
T1 – 1950 to 1967: As early as 1949, Volkswagen had wanted to register the name ‘Bulli’ for the VW Bus with the patent office. But another company had previously secured the rights for a snow groomer. Unlucky, or perhaps not: because the name Bulli somehow made its way to the fans. The unofficial name of the van for the German-speaking region was born. Officially, it initially remained the ‘Transporter’. The two-piece split-window windscreen resulted in it being given the nickname “Splittie” in Great Britain. The special model that is today considered the most legendary of all classic VW Bus vehicles made its debut in June 1951: the ‘Small Bus Special Version’ – christened ‘Samba bus’ by fans.
T2 – 1967 to 1979: As a camper van, the T2 became an indestructible vehicle for globetrotters. The T2 had larger side windows and a one piece, curved windscreen. In addition, the T2 now had a sliding door as standard.
T3 – 1979 to 1992: In addition to the regular Transporter, the first California and Multivan models were created on its basis. At market launch, the air-cooled T3 flat engines produced up to 70 PS. From 1981, a water-cooled 50 PS diesel engine was installed at the rear of the Transporter for the first time. From 1988, there was the first camper van built in-house: the California.
T4 – 1990 to 2003: After 40 years of rear-wheel drive and a rear-mounted engine, Volkswagen completely changed the drive concept: from now on, the engines were located at the front; and they also no longer powered the rear axle, but the front wheels. Extra cargo room was created. A 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine was introduced in the T4 as the first turbodiesel direct injection engine (TDI) in a VW Transporter.
T5 – 2003 to 2015: The new design was more spacious and variable than any other VW Bus before. The Transporter made its debut as a Kombi, panel van, dropside, double cab and chassis variant for third-party superstructures. In addition, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles redefined the VW Bus with the state-of-the-art new editions of the Caravelle, Multivan and California.
T6 and T6.1 – 2015 to 2024: The T6 model variants were divided into the commercial vehicle models of panel van, dropside, double cab, Kombi and Caravelle, as well as the family-oriented Multivan and the California camper van. New two-tone paint finishes represented a tribute to the first VW Bus generations. The range of engines included four new TDIs and two new TSIs, each with a capacity of two litres. The first plug-in hybrid drive was already available as an option in 2021.
The current ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo – since 2022: From the outset, the electric VW Bus was offered in two versions: as the ID. Buzz Pro for family, leisure and business, and as the ID. Buzz Cargo for trade, business and industry. And this is still the case today. The top-of-the-range ID. Buzz GTX with 340 PS was presented in 2024.
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