Hi guys, today we want to share some story and history about Volkswagen Microbus. This van quite popular in Malaysia a long time ago. Volkswagen Microbus Concept was a concept car recalling the original Volkswagen Microbus and first presented at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. It was already stole the hearts of everyone who attended the show. The 1st model of the Microbus had been introduced in 1950, initially based on Volkswagen’s first model, the Type 1, also known as the “Beetle“. Microbus or Volkswagen Type 2 was the second automotive line introduced by German automaker Volkswagen.
The Volkswagen Type 2 unofficially known as a “Microbus” or “hippie van,” the latter due to its popularity with the 1960s/70s counterculture movement.
The Microbus was scheduled for production, but was canceled in early 2005. In 2005, VW announced that Chrysler would build minivans for Volkswagen in the United States. The resulting Volkswagen Routan was released to the North American market in September 2008. Unrelated to the new Microbus, the Routan is a seven-seat minivan and is a rebadged variant of the Chrysler RT platform.
But in Septermber 2008, there was a report said that the Microbus Concept might actually be produced.We still don’t get any official news from the Volkswagen.
Volkswagen’s new interpretation of everyone’s favorite – and the original – minivan.
During the hippie era in the United States, the Bus became a major counterculture symbol. There were several reasons: The van could carry a number of people plus camping gear and cooking supplies, extra clothing and also do-it-yourself carpenter’s tools.
And Volkswagen is now rumored to be tinkering with the idea of bringing a small piece of serenity to this world plague by war, energy crisis, inflation, economic downturn with a new Microbus, cool but we’re not really sure if its legal now to smoke weed, whether new green engines could have the sound of a carburetor, whether mechanics wouldn’t get sued hammering your car with a wretch, or whether a guitar is all you need to play the latest songs of Timbaland on the streets. Most of all, whether the 60 year old hippies could still be capable for a wild shag.
A new versions of the Microbus is an idea that certainly piques my interest. How about yours?
Read the history of the Volkswagen Type 2 / Microbus / Hippie van below :
Volkswagen Type 2 also called
Volkswagen Bus
Volkswagen Transporter
Volkswagen Kombi
Hippie Bus
Class
Van
Body style(s)
3-door van
4-door van
2-door truck (regular cab)
4-door truck (crew cab)
Volkswagen T1
The 1st generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 with the split windshield, called the Microbus or Splittie among modern fans, was produced from March 8, 1950 through the end of the 1967 model year. From 1950 to 1956, the T1 was built in Wolfsburg; from 1956 it was built at the completely new Transporter factory in Hanover.
The early versions of the T1 until 1955 were often called the T1a or “Barndoor”, owing to the enormous rear engine cover, while the later versions with a slightly modified body (the roofline above the windshield is extended), smaller engine bay, and 15 in (381 mm) wheels instead of the original 16 in (406 mm) ones were called the T1b. From the 1963 model year, when the rear door was made wider (same as on the T2), the vehicle was referred to as the T1c.
Production
1950-1967 (US and Germany)
1950-1975 (Brazil)
Assembly
São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Wolfsburg, Germany
Hanover, Germany
Engine(s)
1131 cc 25 hp H4
1.2L 30 hp H4
1192 cc 36 hp H4
1.5L 42 hp H4
Volkswagen T2
In 1968, the second generation of the Type 2 was introduced. It was built in Germany until 1979. In Mexico, the Volkswagen Combi and Panel were produced from 1970 to 1994. The Brazilian Volkswagen plant has produced the Kombi since the 50s until today. Models before 1971 are often called the T2a, while models after 1972 are called the T2b.
Production
1968-1979 (US and Germany)
1968-1991 (Mexico)
1976-present (Brazil)
1981-1986 (Argentina)
Engine(s)
1.6L 48 hp H4
1.6L 50 hp H4
1.7L 66 hp H4
1.8L 68 hp H4
2.0L 70 hp H4
Transmission(s)
4-speed manual
3-speed automatic
Volkswagen T2c
The T2c, so called since it got a slightly raised roof by about 10 cm in the early 1990s, was built for the South American and Central American markets.
Since 1995, the T2c has been built in Brazil with air-cooled engines for the Brazilian market and with the water-cooled 1.8 L 4 cylinder.
Jom komen!