The German automaker announced today that their Volkswagen Transporter is celebrating its 60th anniversary as the well known van entered production in March 1950.
With 10 million units produced since then, the Volkswagen Transporter has now reached the 5th generation, evolving continuously in every aspect.
The first Volkswagen Transporter was fitted with an air-cooled 4-cylinder 1.1-litre petrol engine that developed 25 PS and could reach a top speed of 60 mph.
On the latest generation Volkswagen Transporter power is extracted from a 2.0-litre common rail, turbocharged diesel engine that produces between 84 PS and 180 PS while maximum speed is now 119 mph.
As the Volkswagen Transporter turns 60 the company is promoting the latest generation that went on sale in UK in January through a new campaign entitled the ‘Evolution of Van’.
Volkswagen press release :
Production of the Volkswagen Transporter van officially started in
March 1950 and during the 60 years since then it has become one of
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ best-selling models globally, the
number one imported van in the UK as well as one of the most iconic and
popular vans in the world.
With over 10 million produced, the Volkswagen Transporter has
evolved through five generations of functional and practical
bodystyles, each representing the ultimate multi-purpose vehicle of its
time and loved by business and private users alike for transporting
goods or people for work or leisure. This unique heritage is the focus
of the current ‘Evolution of Van’ advertising campaign for the new
Transporter which was launched in the UK in January.
The first T1 ‘split-screen’ model was powered by a four-cylinder,
air-cooled, 1.1-litre petrol engine mounted at the back of the
vehicle. It produced 25 PS of power and had a top speed of about 60
mph. By comparison, the new Transporter enjoys the refinement of
Volkswagen’s latest 2.0-litre, common rail, turbocharged diesel engine,
available with power outputs ranging from 84 PS to 180 PS and a top
speed of up to 119 mph, plus the latest stability control systems and
braking technology that would have sounded like something from a
science fiction novel 60 years ago.
Although the design has evolved over the years, the first and the
latest Transporter share the same badge on the front and the same
design principles of a generous loadspace and an enviable reputation
for quality and durability.
Similarly, comparing the latest Volkswagen California with a T1
campervan shows that both make efficient use of the space available to
create a vehicle equally suitable for daily trips to work or the shops,
as for weekend escapes or continental capers.
Over the years, Volkswagen Transporters have endured challenging
round the world trips by enthusiastic travellers, been used as the
preferred choice of travel for rock bands since the 1960s to the
present day, and been relied upon by many businesses needing a fleet of
delivery or passenger carrying vehicles.
The first Transporter was imported into the UK in 1955, and the
latest version of the van as well as today’s people-carrying and
campervan versions, the Caravelle and California, arrived in the UK
this January, 55 years later. Full details of the new Transporter,
Caravelle and California and the latest finance offers are available by
calling 0800 717131 or visiting www.volkswagen.vans.co.uk.
