RSS
Home
Sixty years (and counting) of the VW Van
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
The VW Beetle has the distinction of being one of the longest-lasting designs in automotive history. The Beetle was built yearly in numbers ranging from a handful to millions from 1938 to 2003, and there are very few mass-produced vehicles that can approach such a record. The only exception is, in fact, one of the most successful variants of the Beetle, the VW Transporter.
This year, 2009, marks more or less the 60th year of the Volkswagen van’s existence. Though production did not begin until 1950, the venerable van’s design was finalized the previous year, a design that has remained remarkably unchanged to the present day. Yes, the present day. Incredible though it may seem, the Transporter is still being built and sold by Volkswagen’s Brazilian affiliate.
VW do Brasil has traditionally been a bit of a maverick (more on this later). Their model line-up has been and continues to be made up of models that are either completely unique to Brazil or a generation or two behind Wolfsburg. The 3rd generation Transporter and the newer front-engined vans, called the Vanagon and Eurovan respectively in the U.S., were never built in Brazil. So the Brazilian Transporter, called the “Kombi” (from a shortened form of the German term for station wagon, “Kombinationskraftwagen”), is nearly identical to the 2nd generation Transporter made in Germany from 1968 to 1979. Well, almost.
While the basic design has stood the test of time, there have been a few changes over the years. Visually, the most striking addition is shallow black box on the front. This box is, in fact, a radiator. Sorry purists, but the Kombi does not have an air-cooled flat-four engine anymore. Instead, it has a more powerful and cleaner 1.4 liter water-cooled inline four that, incidentally, runs off of gasoline or the local alcohol fuel. VW do Brasil claims the Kombi can do 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in about 16 seconds and has a top speed of about 80 mph; still no road burner, but better than it ever was with the old 1.6 liter flat-four it used through 2005.
Less drastic than a radiator, but still noticeable, is the roof extension. For whatever reason, the Brazilians thought the Kombi needed more headroom, so they lifted the roof a few inches. Other than a few minor details, though, those changes are all that separate a new Brazilian Kombi from a thirty- or forty-year-old Transporter.
The Kombi appears to be marketed as a basic transportation for goods and people (it’s listed with the commercial vehicles on the VW do Brasil website), so its basic philosophy hasn’t changed in sixty years. Many people associate the VW Van with camping, however, and that tradition continues with Danbury Motorcaravans. The English company not only imports and sells stock cargo and passenger Kombis, but they also carry out camper conversions.
The Danbury’s models based on the Kombi are reminiscent of the wonderful old Westphalia campers. A pop-top is even available, though of a different design. Of course, these modern vehicles are a bit plusher and offer such optional luxuries as a flat-screen television, stereo, two-tone paint, and alloy wheels. They start at about £21,000, or about $35,000, which seems pretty cheap for a van-based camper. The Kombi and Danbury campers cannot be imported to the U.S. (they would never satisfy safety and emissions laws), though, perhaps giving American hardcore VW fans incentive to move either across the pond or to another hemisphere.
Of course, it probably has not occurred to hardcore VW fans that the Kombi’s days may be numbered. Realistically, such an old design cannot hope to measure favorably against modern competition much longer. Look at the Beetle, after all. On the other hand, one cannot argue with the power of practicality and nostalgia. The Kombi has a low price and has a lot of space in a small package, which is tempting to any tradesman. Danbury’s campers, in addition to be low-priced and practical, have the advantage of being the VW camper of your dreams, except that it has a modern engine and hasn't thirty years of wear. Though things may change at any time in the unpredictable world of automobile manufacture, it is possible that the Kombi will continue its commercial duties in Brazil and the occasional camping trip in England for some time yet.
For more info:
The embedded video above is from AutoMotoTV's youtube channel. It announces the fiftieth anniversary of the Kombi in Brazil (1957-2007).
For those who can read Portuguese, VW do Brasil's website has a section on the Kombi.
Danbury Motorcaravans' site has an informative page on their current Kombi-based offerings with photographs, 360 degree views, and price lists.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
