Photo: Volkswagen
Bulli, Kombi, the Bus, Microbus, the T series; whatever you want to call the Transporter, there’s no denying the commercial vehicle is one of the backbones of the Volkswagen Group. Its importance shouldn’t be understated, not after 13 million examples of the breed have been sold over six generations since March 1950, making the Transporter the longest production run for a commercial vehicle.
The T1 – as the first generation is called – was revealed as a hand-built prototype in 1949. The following year, production started for three configurations: the panel van, passenger van, and an eight-seat bus, all of them featuring the engine and transmission from the Volkswagen Beetle – a.k.a. the Type 1.
Early models offered a payload of up to 750 kilograms or 1,653 pounds in the United States. The Samba entered the scene in 1951 with all-round windows and a folding sunroof, and 1952 saw the unveiling of a pickup.
Volkswagen waited until 1967 and the T2 to roll out a sliding door as standard. The second generation was also available as a pop-up roof camper van, and in 1972, Volkswagen came up with an all-electric option.
A year before the Oil Crisis changed our perspective on our reliance on fossil fuel, the electric T2 Camper could reach 70 kilometers per hour while offering a driving range of up to 70 kilometers. The battery weighed in at 850 kilograms because of the lead accumulators, and charging took ten hours from a 220 volts outlet.
The T3 and T4 followed suit with production runs of 13 years each, then the T5 leveled up the segment from 2003 until 2015. The latest generation of the Transporter – named T6 for the pre-facelift and T6.1 for the 2019 facelift – entered the digital age with technologies that were only a dream a decade ago.
Der Transporter Pritschenwagen - as the flatbed pickup is called in Germany - is the most affordable of the lot at 29,650 euros, featuring a single cab, the 2.0 TDI with 66 kW of suck-squeeze-bang-blow, and a five-speed manual.
Early models offered a payload of up to 750 kilograms or 1,653 pounds in the United States. The Samba entered the scene in 1951 with all-round windows and a folding sunroof, and 1952 saw the unveiling of a pickup.
Volkswagen waited until 1967 and the T2 to roll out a sliding door as standard. The second generation was also available as a pop-up roof camper van, and in 1972, Volkswagen came up with an all-electric option.
A year before the Oil Crisis changed our perspective on our reliance on fossil fuel, the electric T2 Camper could reach 70 kilometers per hour while offering a driving range of up to 70 kilometers. The battery weighed in at 850 kilograms because of the lead accumulators, and charging took ten hours from a 220 volts outlet.
The T3 and T4 followed suit with production runs of 13 years each, then the T5 leveled up the segment from 2003 until 2015. The latest generation of the Transporter – named T6 for the pre-facelift and T6.1 for the 2019 facelift – entered the digital age with technologies that were only a dream a decade ago.
Der Transporter Pritschenwagen - as the flatbed pickup is called in Germany - is the most affordable of the lot at 29,650 euros, featuring a single cab, the 2.0 TDI with 66 kW of suck-squeeze-bang-blow, and a five-speed manual.
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