After the War in 1944, the Wolfsburg factory where
the VW Beetle's were being
made had no means of internal transport.
So thepeople who worked in the experimental department came up with
the idea of a
flat bed truck utilizingparts from another vehicle the
Kubelwagon
Ben Pon came up with the idea of
moving the cab forward and covering the flatbed over. The first prototype
for the now world famous VW camper was born.
The
Transporters went into production in November 1949. Below is a picture of a
1949 Prototype basically a box on wheels
During a press conference on November 12 1949, Heinz Nordoff chief executive of Volkswagen presented the world with the first Volkswagen Transporter. With it's engine in the rear and passengers placed up front over the axle, the Transporter, with the payload carried between the axles was perfectly balanced. The Transporter was a masterpiece of automotive design work.
Initial tests on the new vehicle came to a halt.
As the floorpan could not with stand the stress of the new bodywork. A new
prototype was hastily built but with unitary construction. The body and chassis
were welded together and strengthened with an additional subframe. Better
brakes were added and the rounded shape of the front panel reduced fuel
consumption.
