The Volkswagen Transporter is the best-selling van in history with over 12 million vehicles sold worldwide. So, what makes the now-iconic commercial vehicle so popular?
Below, we dive into the history of the VW Transporter van before looking into the latest model’s tech, capabilities and cargo space.
History of the Volkswagen Transporter
Volkswagen unveiled the very first Transporter – the VW T1 – in 1950, and since then there has been five more variations. The first-generation Transporter, often referred to as the Microbus or Splitscreen, derived from the Volkswagen Beetle, which was launched in 1938.
Following the success of the T1 Camper Van, it was inevitable VW would work on a successor, which eventually came in 1967 with the T2. This newer Volkswagen commercial vehicle abandoned the split front windshield of the T1 and its increased size led to fanatics nicknaming it the Breadloaf.
Like its predecessor, the T2 again proved popular, so much so that it wasn’t until 1979 that VW decided to unveil the T3. Advancements in technology meant that this model was able to utilise and air-cooled and water-cooled engine.
1990, two years before production was halted on the T3, was when the modern-day Transporter really came into its own. The Volkswagen Transporter T4 evolved from the retro camper van design to the commercial vehicle we often see on the roads today.
The T4 was actually the first Volkswagen to have a front-mounded, water-cooled engine and is second only to the T1 in terms of length of production (13 years).