| The Volkswagen Type 2 or Transporter (or
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| | Van with skylight windows and cloth
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| more popularly known as the "Bus") is
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| | sunroof (Samba-Bus, first generation
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| generally considered to be the ancestor
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| | only; also called Deluxe Microbus);
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| of the passenger and cargo van. Taking
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| | Flatbed truck (Pick-up), or Single Cab,
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| after the VW Beetle ("Type 1"), the Bus
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| | also available with wider load bed;
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| was introduced in 1950. It sparked a wave
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| | Flatbed truck, Double Cab, with two rows
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| of imitators like the Ford Econoline, the
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| | of seats (Crew Cab Pick-up); Camping van
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| Dodge A100 and the Chevrolet Corvan,
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| | (Westy; with Westfalia roof and
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| which even sported some utilities similar
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| | interior); and semi-camping van that can
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| to VW bus parts like its rear-mounted
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| | also still be used as a passenger car and
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| engine. The Bus' basic idea is generally
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| | transporter, sacrificing some camping
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| credited to a Dutch VW importer, Ben Pon,
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| | comforts (Multivan, or Weekender,
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| who in 1947 began drawing a series of
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| | available from the third generation on).
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| designs for the van. The first design was
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| | During the hippie movement in the United
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| not aerodynamic enough, but was soon
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| | States during the late 60s and early 70s,
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| improved on the wind-tunnels of Technical
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| | the Bus became a widely known symbol of
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| University of Braunschweig. Three years
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| | the movement. Many of the counterculture
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| later, the more aerodynamic van began to
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| | sported a Bus as a means of not just
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| roll out of VW's Wolfsburg production
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| | transportation but expression as well,
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| plant. The Type 2 soon assumed many
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| | with some taking many VW bus parts to new
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| variations of the basic VW bus parts
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| | design heights. Those with artistic bents
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| configuration. Among them were: Delivery
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| | turned the Bus into their own canvas,
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| van without side windows or rear seats
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| | taking off from the traditional factory
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| (Panel Van); Delivery van with raised
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| | paint jobs. Soon, Busses were seen in
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| roof (High Roof Panel Van), or Hochdach;
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| | multi-faceted colors, from the surreal to
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| Van with side windows and removable rear
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| | the psychedelic. Anti-war activists even
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| seats (Kombi, from German
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| | replaced the VW logo in the front with a
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| Kombinationskraftwagen (combination
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| | painted peace sign. From its utilitarian
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| vehicle), i.e. both a passenger and a
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| | beginnings to its hippie generation and
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| cargo vehicle combined); Van with more
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| | its present incarnation as the VW
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| comfortable interior reminiscent of
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| | Eurovan, the Bus has proven its
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| passenger cars (Bus; also called
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| | longevity.
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| Caravelle since the third generation);
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