 Volkswagen T1c Kombi | |
| Production | 1950-1967 (Europe and U.S.) 1950-1975 (Brazil) |
|---|---|
| Assembly | Wolfsburg, Germany Hanover, Germany São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil |
| Platform | Volkswagen Transporter T1 |
| Engine(s) | 1.1 L 18kW B4 1.2 L 22kW B4 1.2 L 30kW B4 1.5 L 31-38kW B4 |
The first generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 with the split windshield, informally called the Microbus, Splitscreen, or Splittie among modern fans, was produced from 8 March 1950 through the end of the 1967 model year. From 1950 to 1956, the T1 was built in Wolfsburg; from 1956 it was built at the completely new Transporter factory in Hanover. Like the Beetle, the first Transporters used the 1100 Volkswagen air cooled engine, an 1,131 cubic centimetres (69.0 cu in), DIN-rated 18 kilowatts (24 PS; 24 bhp), air-cooled flat-four cylinder 'boxer' engine mounted in the rear. This was upgraded to the 1200 - an 1,192 cubic centimetres (72.7 cu in) 22 kilowatts (30 PS; 30 bhp) in 1953. A higher compression ratio became standard in 1955; while an unusual early version of the 30 kilowatts (41 PS; 40 bhp) engine debuted exclusively on the Type 2 in 1959. This engine proved to be so uncharacteristically troublesome that Volkswagen recalled all 1959 Transporters and replaced the engines with an updated version of the 30 kW engine.[citation needed] Any 1959 models that retain that early engine today are true survivors. Since the engine was totally discontinued at the outset, no parts were ever made available.
The early versions of the T1 until 1955 were often called the T1a or "Barndoor", owing to the enormous rear engine cover, while the later versions with a slightly modified body (the roofline above the windshield is extended), smaller engine bay, and 15" roadwheels instead of the original 16" ones were called the T1b. From the 1964 model year, when the rear door was made wider (same as on the T2), the vehicle was referred to as the T1c. 1964 also saw the introduction of an optional sliding door for the passenger/cargo area instead of the outwardly hinged doors typical of cargo vans. This change arguably makes the 1964 Volkswagen the first true minivan, although the term wouldn't be coined for another two decades.[citation needed]
In 1962, a heavy-duty Transporter was introduced as a factory option. It featured a cargo capacity of 1,000 kilograms (2,205 lb) instead of the previous 750 kilograms (1,653 lb), smaller but wider 14" roadwheels, and a 1.5 litre, 31 kilowatts (42 PS; 42 bhp) DIN engine. This was so successful that only a year later, the 750 kg, 1.2 litre Transporter was discontinued. The 1963 model year introduced the 1500 engine - 1,493 cubic centimetres (91.1 cu in) as standard equipment to the US market at 38 kilowatts (52 PS; 51 bhp) DIN with an 83 millimetres (3.27 in) bore, 69 millimetres (2.72 in) stroke, and 7.8:1 compression ratio. When the Beetle received the 1.5 litre engine for the 1967 model year, its power was increased to 40 kilowatts (54 PS; 54 bhp) DIN.
German production stopped after the 1967 model year; however, the T1 still was made in Brazil until 1975, when it was modified with a 1968-79 T2-style front end, and big 1972-vintage taillights into the so-called "T1.5" and produced until 1996. The Brazilian T1s were not identical to the last German models (the T1.5 was locally produced in Brazil using the 1950s and 1960s-era stamping dies to cut down on retooling, alongside the Beetle/Fusca, where the pre-1965 body style was retained), though they sported some characteristic features of the T1a, such as the cargo doors and five-stud 205 millimetres (8.1 in) PCD) rims.
Among American enthusiasts, it is common to refer to the different models by the number of their windows. The basic Kombi or Bus is the 11-window (a.k.a. three-window bus because of three side windows) with a split windshield, two front cabin door windows, six rear side windows, and one rear window. The deluxe model featured eight rear side windows and two rear corner windows, making it the 15-window (not available in Europe). Meanwhile, the sunroof deluxe with its additional eight small skylight windows is, accordingly, the 23-window. From the 1964 model year, with its wider rear door, the rear corner windows were discontinued, making the latter two the 13-window and 21-window respectively. The 23- and later 21-window variants are usually described as Sambas.
[edit] Volkswagen Light Trucks and the US Chicken Tax
Certain models of the Volkswagen Type 2 played a role in an historic episode during the early 1960s, known as the Chicken War. France and West Germany had placed tariffs on imports of U.S. chicken.[9] Diplomacy failed,[10] and in January 1964, two months after taking office, President Johnson imposed a 25 percent tax (almost 10 times the average U.S. tariff)[11] on potato starch, dextrin, brandy, and light trucks.[11] Officially, the tax targeted items imported from Europe as approximating the value of lost American chicken sales to Europe.[12]
In retrospect, audio tapes from the Johnson White House, revealed a quid pro quo unrelated to chicken. In January 1964, President Johnson attempted to convince United Auto Workers' president Walter Reuther not to initiate a strike just prior the 1964 election, and to support the president's civil rights platform. Reuther, in turn, wanted Johnson to respond to Volkswagen's increased shipments to the United States.[12]
The Chicken Tax directly curtailed importation of German-built Type 2s in configurations that qualified them as light trucks — that is, commercial vans (panel vans) and pickups.[12] In 1964, U.S. imports of automobile trucks from West Germany declined to a value of $5.7 million — about one-third the value imported in the previous year. After 1971, Volkswagen cargo vans and pickup trucks, the intended targets, "practically disappeared from the U.S. market".[11] While post-1971 Type 2 commercial vans and single-cab and double-cab pickups can be found in the United States today, they are exceedingly rare. As of 2009, the Chicken tax remains in effect.
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