Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi/Camper (Split-screen) (1949 - 1968)

Introduction

Volkswagen started work on its first commercial vehicle, and launched it three years later. It was officially designated as the Type 2, but is also known as the T1. Either way, it was a shape which launched a million campers - and there were several different body variations to choose from.

The most popular and numerous were the Kombi (Kombinationskraftwagen – a windowed combination of passenger and cargo vehicle, usually referred to as a ‘bus’) and the Camper. Westfalia created most of the latter. These early vans were nicknamed ‘Split’ or ‘Splittie’ due to their two-piece windscreen, and VW updated the mechanical side of the vehicles constantly while leaving their looks mostly untouched until 1968.