What is the VW Kombi called today?
Known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus – or informally as the Volkswagen Station Wagon (US), Bus (also US), Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), it was initially given the factory designation ‘Type 2’, as it followed – and was for decades based on – the original ‘Volkswagen’ ( . Kombi, from German: Kombinationskraftwagen (combination motor vehicle), with side windows and removable rear seats, both a passenger and a cargo vehicle combined. Bus, also called a Volkswagen Caravelle, a van with more comfortable interior reminiscent of passenger cars since the third generation.
Why is it called a Kombi van?
The “T2”, as the early Kombis were officially called (Kombi is short for kombinationkraftswagen), was first unveiled to the world in 1949 at the Geneva Motor Show. It was the big brother to the already popular VW Beetle — a van version, initially designed on the same wheelbase. However, it’s the Brazilian Volkswagen factory that gets the honor of keeping the Type 2 in production the longest, with the model staying in almost continuous production from Sept. Dec. All told, 1. Kombis made since 1950 have come from Brazil’s factory.