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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

VW Model TYPES : Production VW Type Designations- TYPE 2.

This is the third part on  the Volkswagen (VW)  model TYPES for newbies on the aircooled VW scene. The first part was on the  VW Model TYPES Prototypes and Wartime Production Models the second on the Production VW Type Designations Type 1 while this third installment is on Type 2s. This is more on the  general understanding of these VW "Type" systems which would be of great help for us to understand and be understood by fellow enthusiasts but more importantly also as an important technical guide in sourcing out VW parts/numbers and to learn more about the history of the VW itself.

b. Production VW Type Designations:

2. VW TYPE 2 (T2, TII): Transporter Bus, Van, Vanagon

Prototype 2 (a VW “truck” version)  was developed in the post-war production years at the Wolfsburg Factory and was formally designated in production as “Transporters” in 1950.
1949 Type 2 Transporter Cargo (Prototype)
 1100cc Engine with air-cooled same like engine the Beetle. 
Early versions had 25 horsepower. Launched to the market 8 th March 1950
Proven too weak to withstand "truck-use", a stiffer and lighter unitized body/chassis was developed from the original Beetle (Type 1) chassis. All versions of the VW “vans” or “ buses” that followed was now referred to as Type 2.

The Type 2 was the van or bus version of the VW Beetle. It had many variants and is most notable for being the iconic image during the "Hippie Movement". Below are some Type 2 variants.   Aircooled.net notes that the “type” designations used below are unofficial created retrospectively by VW enthusiasts usually only used in the short format “T1″, “T2″, “T3″- which understandably causes more terminology confusion!

Type 2 VARIANTS:

1. T1: “Early Bus” called the Microbus or Splittie (it had split window shields-two panels):
from vwbussale.com
     a. T1a - ”Barn Door- with large back engine cover,
from vwsage.com
     b. T1b-Slightly smaller version; Kombi: 11 windows; Deluxe: 15 windows; Sunroof Deluxe: 23 windows, etc.
1965 Volkswagen 11 Window Kombi
1958 15 Window Deluxe Bus
23 window deluxe sunroof bus
2. T2: “Late Bus” (nicknamed ”Loaf” or “Bay Window”)- Upgraded version of T1;

     a. T2a for 67-71 “Early Bay”,
1970 VW Early Bay Campervan 
     b. T2b for 72&up “Late Bay”
Volkswagen T2B late bay window
3. T3 (T25) Aircooled Vanagon (nicknamed “Brick”) style vans; "Caravelle"
Volkswagen Type 2 (T3) ; Transporter or Caravelle (Europe), 
Microbus (South Africa) ; Vanagon (North and South America).
4. T4: Commercial class- VW Eurovan came along and people naturally called it a ”T4″… not to be confused with the former VW vehicle models 411 & 412.

Volkswagen Eurovan

NEXT: Volkswagen (VW) Model TYPES II : Production VW TYPE 3 (T3, TIII)

















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