VW Transporter Type 2: Bus, Camper and Van

When Dutchman Ben Pon saw motorized trollies built from Beetle chassis and running gear carrying components around Wolsburg in 1947, he sketched an outline for a simply constructed van. Although Pon’s “box on wheels” concept was initially turned down by the British, who were then managing the factory, the idea was taken up by Heinz Nordhoff who took over as VW’s chief executive in 1948.

By November that year the first blueprints were available and just a year later the first VW transporter was unveiled. The concept of the transporter or “Bulli” as it was known in Germany, remain little changed throughout four decades of production, during which over five million examples were produced.