VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 2 HISTORY
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MODEL NAMES &
NICKNAMES Like the Beetle, from the beginning, the Type 2 earned many nicknames from its fans. Among the most popular, at least in Germany, are VW-Bus and Bulli (or Bully). The Type 2 was meant to be officially named the Bully, but Heinrich Lanz, producer of the Lanz Bulldog farm tractor, intervened. The model was then named as the VW Transporter and VW Kleinbus, but the Bully nickname still caught on. The official German-language model names Transporter and Kombi (Kombinationskraftwagen, "combined-use vehicle") have also caught on as nicknames. Kombi is not only the name of the passenger variant, but is also the Australasian and Brazilian term for the whole Type 2 family in much the same way that they are all called VW-Bus in Germany – even the pickup truck variations. In Mexico, the German "Kombi" was translated as "Combi", and became a household word thanks to the vehicle's popularity in Mexico City's public transportation system. In America it is known by various terms including VW bus, vee-dub, hippie van, combie, Microbus or Transporter. The Australian band Men at Work made the use of the Kombi name somewhat popular in other parts of the world by using it in the first line of their 1981 hit record Down Under: "Travelling in a fried-out Kombi ...". The early versions produced before 1967 used a split front windshield (giving rise to the nickname "Splitty"), and their comparative rarity has led to their becoming sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. The next version, from 1968 to 1979, is characterised by a large, curved windshield and is commonly called a "bay-window".
TYPE 2 VARIANTS The Type 2 was available as a:
Apart from these factory variants, there were a multitude of third-party conversions available, some of which were offered through Volkswagen dealers. They included, but were not limited to; refrigerated vans, hearses, ambulances, fire engines and ladder trucks.
T1 SPLIT SCREEN (1950 to 1967)The first generation of the VW Type 2 with the split front window, was produced from March 8th, 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. Like the Beetle, the first Transporters had a 1.2, 25hp, air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine mounted in the rear. The 36hp version became standard in 1955 while an early version of the 40hp engine debuted exclusively on the Type 2 in 1959. This engine proved to be so uncharacteristically troublesome that Volkswagen recalled all 1959 Transporters and replaced the engines with an updated version of the 40hp engine. Any 1959 models that retain that early engine today are true survivors. Since the engine was totally discontinued at the outset, no parts were ever made available. 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 15in wheels instead of the original 16in 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. 1963 also saw the introduction of an optional sliding door for the passenger/cargo area instead of the standard outwardly hinged doors. In 1962, a heavy-duty Transporter was introduced as a factory option. It featured a cargo capacity of one metric ton instead of the previous 750kg, smaller but wider 14in (356 mm) wheels, and a 1.5, 42hp engine. This was so successful that only a year later, the 750 kg, 1.2 Transporter was discontinued. When the Beetle received the 1.5 engine for the 1967 model year, its power was increased to 44hp. German production stopped after the 1967 model year; however, the T1 still was made in Brazil until 1975, when it was then modified with a 1968-79 T2-style front end and big 1972-vintage taillights into the so-called "T1.5" The Brazilian T1s were not identical to the last German models (the T1.5 was locally produced in Brazil using the 1950s and 1960s-era stamping dies to cut down on retooling, alongside the Beetle where the pre-1965 bodystyle was retained), though they sported some characteristic features of the T1a, such as the cargo doors and 5-stud rims. Among enthusiasts, it is common to refer to the different models by the number of their windows. The basic Kombi or Bus is the 11-window (a.k.a. 3-window bus because of three side windows) with a split windshield, two front cabin door windows, six rear side windows, and one rear window. The deluxe model featured eight rear side windows and two rear corner windows, making it the 15-window (not available in Europe). And the sunroof deluxe with its additional eight small skylight windows is, accordingly, the 23-window. From the 1963 model year, with its wider rear door, the rear corner windows were discontinued, making the latter two the 13-window and 21-window respectively.
[ T2 BAY WINDOW (1968 to 1979)In 1968, the second generation of the Type 2 was introduced. It was built in Germany until 1979, with production shifting to Mexico in 1980 and to Brazil in 1996. Models before 1971 are often called the T2a, while models after 1972 are called the T2b. This second-generation T2 lost its distinctive split front window and was slightly larger and considerably heavier than its predecessor. Its common nickname is the Bay-window. At 1.6 and 48hp, the engine was also slightly larger. The new model also did away with the swing axle rear suspension and transfer boxes previously used to raise ride height. Instead, half-shaft axles fitted with CV joints raised ride height without the wild changes in camber of the Beetle-based swing axle transmission. The T2b was introduced by way of gradual change over three years. The 1971 T2 featured a new, 1.6 engine with dual intake ports on each cylinder head and was rated at 50hp (37 kW). An important change came with the introduction of front disc brakes and new wheels with brake ventilation holes and flatter hubcaps. 1972's most prominent change was a bigger engine compartment to fit the larger 1.7 to 2.0 engines, and a redesigned rear end which eliminated the removable rear apron. The air inlets were also enlarged to accommodate the increased cooling air needs of the larger engines. This all-new, larger engine is commonly called the Type 4 engine as opposed to the previous Type 1 engine first introduced in the Type 1 Beetle. This engine was called "Type 4" because it was originally designed for the Type 4 (411 and 412) vehicles. There is no Type 2 engine or Type 3 engine, because those vehicles did not feature new engine designs when introduced. They used the Type 1 engine from the Beetle with minor modifications such as rear mount provisions and different cooling shroud arrangements. In the T2, the VW Type 4 engine was an option for the 1972 model year onward. Only with the Type 4 engine did an automatic transmission become available for the first time in the 1973 model year. Both engines displaced 1.7, rated at 66hp with the manual transmission and 62hp with the automatic. The Type 4 engine was enlarged to 1.8 and 68hp for the 1974 model year and again to 2.0 70hp for the 1976 model year. As with all Transporter engines, the focus in development was not on power, but on low-end torque. The Type 4 engines were considerably more robust and durable than the Type 1 engines, particularly in transporter service. 1973 also saw the most noticeable exterior changes. The front turn indicators were squared off from the previous version and set higher in the front valence, above the headlights. Larger taillights were added to comply with US market lighting requirements as were larger bumpers. The only thing that shrunk on the new model, or so it seemed, was the large and distinctive "VW" emblem on the front of the early model. Later model changes were primarily under the skin. By 1974, the T2 had gained its final shape. Very late in the T2's design life, during the late 1970s, the first prototypes of Type 2 vans with four wheel drive were built and tested. The T2c was built for the South American and Central American markets. The T2c was produced in Mexico until 1991 with the 1.6 Type 1 engine, and from 1991 with water-cooled engines from the VW Golf.
T3 TRANSPORTER (1979 to 1992)The T3, known as the T25 in the UK, and Vanagon in the US, was built from 1979 to 1991 (1992 for the Syncro version) and was the third distinct generation of the Type 2. It featured an all-new mechanical design that matched the T2 in length and height, but was wider by 12 cm and considerably heavier. Additional interior space was created by lowering the engine compartment; the rear door is 75% larger than the T2's. The suspension and almost all mechanical components were completely changed, and frontal crash protection was greatly increased. The body was considerably squared-off, though retaining the overall impression of previous versions. Body variants remained the same as before. Until 1982, the T3 was available with the same air-cooled engines as the T2. Starting in 1981, water-cooled diesel engines were available options and for 1984, water-cooled petrol boxer engines replaced the previous air-cooled ones. From 1985, the T3 Syncro represented the first production Type 2 with four-wheel-drive. The Syncro drive system was full-time four wheel drive, with drive to the front axle controlled by a viscous coupling that delivered power when required. European Syncros were normally fitted with front and rear pneumatically operated differential locks to improve traction. These were not normally fitted to US-spec Vanagons due to fears over product liability. Engine size and performance grew considerably over the T25's production run, from the 1.6, 50 hp and 2.0, 70hp air-cooled engines to 1.9 water-cooled powerplants rated at 60hp or 78hp to the top-of the line 2.1, 112hp (pre-cat) fuel-injected version. Likewise, the diesel engine grew to 1.9, 65hp. There was a turbodiesel option, but only in 1.6, 70hp trim. The 1.9 turbodiesel upgrade was not available until the introduction of the T4. In its home market, the T3 was replaced by the T4 for the 1990 model year, but some Syncro models and vehicles for Deutsche Post and the German military continued to be produced in Austria until 1992. The last German-built T3s were the very sought-after "Limited Last Edition" models of which 2,500 were built. Meanwhile, the T3 was still being built in South Africa, with a slightly modified body (larger windows, different ventilation, less room above the engine), fuel-injected four and five-cylinder inline engines and new equipment packages. South African T3 production was halted in 2002.
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