Volkswagen Bus

The full story of the Transporter from the earliest 'Split-screen' types through the 'Bay-window' models to the later 'Wedge' generation.

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When Dutchman Ben Pon saw motorised trollies built from Beetle chassis and running gear carrying components around Wolfsburg in 1947, he sketched in his notebook an outline for a simply constructed van._x000B__x000B_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._x000B__x000B_With its unique styling, the concept of the Transporter, or "Bulli" as it was known in Germany, remained little changed throughout four decades of production during which over 5 million examples were produced._x000B__x000B_This book tells the full story of the Transporter from the earliest "split-screen" types through the "bay window" models to the later generation vehicles._x000B__x000B_Today, early Type 2s are prized by classic car enthusiasts and the modern surfboard set.