I doubt there is a commercial vehicle anywhere in the world that's as much loved as the Volkswagen Transporter, or "Van" as most North Americans call it. Built on the Beetle platform and using the Beetle's air-cooled, rear-mounted engine, it was so popular and long-lasting that thousands are still on the road and used daily. I never owned one but had the use of an "Office Van" as a trackside base when reporting on motor races for the TV show Wheelspin. Interestingly the Office Van was never sold in North America (mine was here for a season-long evaluation) but it demonstrated just how versatile the Transporter could be. The VW Transporter was, of course, the first minivan. The Double Cabin Pickup was decades ahead of Detroit in offering what we now call a crew cab. A panel delivery version eliminated multiple windows in favour of enclosed bodysides. And then there was the famous Camper, a cult vehicle that historians have said was responsible for an entire new way of vacationing. It was also useful for another form of entertainment but I'll leave that subject for another day. Well, okay… it was the best damn shaggin' wagon ever invented.
Many books have been written about the Beetle and its variants but now there's a superb publication devoted entirely to the species called "Volkswagen Transporter: The First 60 Years." Written by Richard Copping with Brian Screaton, it celebrates in words and pictures the 60th anniversary of the launch of Volkswagen's ubiquitous Transporter. A treasured memento of a landmark in production and an authoritative point of reference, the hardback is a whopping 400 pages long and contains 400 colour and 100 b&w illustrations. The story includes early Transporter designs, award-winning self-deprecating ads produced by Doyle Dane & Bernbach in New York, the 'bay window' years and a succession of larger engines, the switch to water cooling, and finally the modern age of the front engine, front-wheel-drive T4. Copies have just arrived at eautomobilia.com, the online outlet of Wilkinson's Automobilia in Vancouver. At $74.95 Canadian (a few pennies less in US bucks) this book will be a treasured addition to your library.
And don’t forget the legions of “deadheads”, the intrepid camp followers of the Grateful Dead, whose legendary lead Jerry Garcia encouraged convoys of VolksVans to accompany the band on tour, complete with wild graphics and youthful occupants. Sigh……what a life.
January 30, 2010 @ 11:34 am