Known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus[citation needed] – or informally as the Volkswagen Station Wagon[3] (US), Bus[3] (also US), Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), it was initially given the factory designation 'Type 2', as it followed – and was for decades based on – the original 'Volkswagen' ("People's Car"), which became the VW factory's 'Type 1' after the post-war reboot, and mostly known, in many languages, as the "Beetle".

From the first generation, both regular and crew-cab, as well as long- and short-bed pickups, were made, and multiple firms sprang up to manufacture varying designs of camper vans, based on VW's Transporter models, to this day.

Brazil contained the last factory in the world that produced the T2 series of Type 2, which ceased production on 31 December 2013, due to the introduction of more stringent safety regulations in the country.

[1] Although the aerodynamics of the first prototypes were poor (with an initial drag coefficient of Cd=0.75),[1] engineers used the wind tunnel at the Technical University of Braunschweig to optimize the design.

[1] Only two models were offered: the Kombi (with two side windows and middle and rear seats that were easily removable by one person),[11] and the Commercial.

They started a trend in Europe, where the 1952 GM Bedford CA, 1958 RAF-977, 1959 Renault Estafette, 1960 BMC Morris J4, and 1960 Commer FC also used the concept.

Decades after production of the Type 2 ended, Volkswagen announced in 2017 that they would be bringing an electric VW microbus out based on the new MEB platform in 2022.

The first generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 with the split windshield, informally called the Microbus, Splitscreen, or Splittie among modern fans, was produced from 8 March 1950 through the end of the 1967 model year.

A higher compression ratio became standard in 1955; while an unusual early version of the 30 kW (41 PS; 40 bhp) engine debuted exclusively on the Type 2 in 1959.

German production stopped after the 1967 model year; however, the T1 still was made in Brazil until 1975, when it was modified with a 1968–79 T2-style front end, and big 1972-vintage taillights into the so-called "T1.5" and produced until 1996.

The Brazilian T1s were not identical to the last German models (the T1.5 was locally produced in Brazil using the 1950s and 1960s-era stamping dies to cut down on retooling, alongside the Beetle/Fusca, where the pre-1965 body style was retained), though they sported some characteristic features of the T1a, such as the cargo doors and five-stud 205 mm (8.1 in) Pitch Circle Diameter rims.

[21] Diplomacy failed, and in January 1964, two months after taking office, President Johnson imposed a 25% tax (almost ten times the average US tariff) on potato starch, dextrin, brandy, and light trucks.

[22] In retrospect, audio tapes from the Johnson White House revealed a quid pro quo unrelated to chicken.

While post-1971 Type 2 commercial vans and single-cab and double-cab pickups can be found in the United States today, they are exceedingly rare.

This second-generation Type 2 lost its distinctive split front windshield, and was 22.5 cm (9 in) longer and considerably heavier than its predecessor.

The new model eliminated the swing axle rear suspension and transfer boxes previously used to raise ride height.

[citation needed] In 1972, for the 1973 model year, exterior revisions included relocated front turn indicators, squared off and set higher in the valance, above the headlights.

Since 1991, the T2c has been built in México with the water-cooled 1.8 L inline four-cylinder 53 kW (72 PS; 71 bhp) carbureted engine—easily identified by the large, black front-mounted radiator—and since 1995 with the 1.6 L air-cooled engines for the Brazilian market.

An exclusive silver paint scheme and limited edition emblems were applied to only 200 units in late 2005, and these were sold as 2006 models.

[citation needed] For 1990, the T4 generation was released, with the model range dropping the Type 2 name in favor of the Transporter nameplate.

Over 15 years after the Golf was introduced as the replacement for the Type 1 (Beetle), the Transporter range also adopted a front-engine, front-wheel drive configuration (Syncro 4WD returned as an option).

Volkswagen planned to start selling it in the United States market in 2007, but it was scrapped in May 2004 and replaced with a more cost-effective design to be sold worldwide.

Kombi is not only the name of the passenger variant but also the Australasian and Brazilian term for the whole Type 2 family, in much the same way that they are all called VW-Bus in Germany, even the pickup truck variations.

The early versions produced before 1967 used a split front windshield (giving rise to the nickname "Splitty"), and their comparative rarity has led to their becoming sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.

These were evaluated for the possibility of building pickups in Mexico, and were outfitted with every option except the Arctic package, including front and rear fog lights, intermittent wipers, trip odometer, clock, bumper rubber, PVC tilt, and dual doors on the single cab storage compartment.

In 1991, since Mexican anti-pollution regulations required a three-way catalytic converter, a Digifant fuel injection system replaced the previous carburetor.

The VW Type 2 became popular with the counterculture of the 1960s, thanks to its ability to transport a large group of people while being cheap and easy to maintain.

It contrasted with the large sedans and station wagons that were normal at the time, giving the van an alternative and rebellious image.

[35] The "hippie van" remains iconic today, thanks to being featured on the cover of albums by musicians such as Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys,[36] and being used by fans of the Grateful Dead while following the band on tour.

[37] But most iconic of all, the music festival Woodstock, which was held in the summer of 1969, saw plenty of brightly painted vans transporting excited young crowds.