Designed by Dutch importer Ben Pon, and inspired by spotted boxy wagons carrying panels around Volkswagen’s car plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, the bus was introduced in 1949. Volkswagen’s second car model, following the Beetle (aka Type 1), it was originally offered in two body types: the cargo-carrying Transporter model, followed by the “Kombi” (short for combination, or kombination in German), which featured removable rear seats and additional windows.
Both body types came with a distinctive split windshield, which garnered the nickname “Splittie.” In 1950, VW added the “Samba” model, with roof-top windows for extra viewing pleasure. The Samba was marketing for touring the Alps, naturally. They’d obviously not yet thought of the vehicle’s potential for ocean sports.
Variants to the first generation models included a Panel Van, a delivery van without side windows or rear seats, a Walk-Through Panel Van, with cargo doors on both sides, a Flatbed pickup truck, a Westfalia camping van that included an optional “pop up” top, an Adventurewagen camping van, with high roof and camping units, or a Semi-camping van. VW produced the first generation buses for 17 years, from 1950 through to the end of 1967.
