Officially labelled the Volkswagen Type 2, the VW Camper has become renowned all over the world as an iconic image of both the worlds of travelling and automobiles. Following the Type 1, more commonly known as the Volkswagen Beetle, this was the second car model to be produced by Volkswagen and was introduced in 1950. Production of the Type 2 ceased in December 2013 in Brazil which contained the last factory to produce the vehicle. The end of it's production marks the last production of rear-engined Volkswagens.

The idea to create a van came about when a dutch man named Ben Pon visited Wolfsburg in 1946 with the intention of importing Volkswagen Type 1s to the Netherlands, but decided something better could be designed using some of the parts he saw in the factory. He sketched a design in 1947, and when the factory had the capacity to create more automobiles, the Type 2 started it's journey to becoming the camper van we know and love today.

The original prototypes had bad aerodynamics, and so after some tests the windshield and roofline were split into the iconic V shape to reduce wind resistance, but otherwise the design stuck fairly closely to the original sketch. in 1951 Volkswagen produced an ambulance using the Type 2, repositioning the fuel tank and adding a spare tire and tailgate rear door, which became standard features in the 1955 to 1967 revisions. The Type 2 was one of the first commercial vehicles to place the driver in front off the front axis, which is a configuration referred to as “forward control” and was adapted by several other companies such as Ford, Dodge and Citroën. There have been many different designs since it's initiation into the market, and the Type 5 Volkswagen Van was even based on many of the same features.

It became extremely popular in the 1960s amongst the hippie counter culture and is still seen as a hippie icon today. It is frequently used in brochures to promote travel and road trips as well as music and festivals, and has immersed itself amongst many different cultures throughout modern history. There are even tents available that mimic the design of the camper bus for those who are unable to afford the car itself but still want the camping experience of sleeping inside one.

In January 2017, Volkswagen revealed intentions to reintroduce the Volkswagen bus to the market, featuring the distinctive two tone design and diverting away from the traditional gas engine to be powered instead by two electric motors. Other concepts included the ability to drive fully autonomously after the driver pushed a button that would retract the steering wheel into the cockpit allowing the car to take over using a combination of laser scanners, radar sensors and cameras to monitor activity on the road, an augmented reality dashboard that can hook up to the drivers smartphone, and a range of 373 miles. The Grand California (in the photo) is expected to become available around 2020, but it has not been confirmed whether or not the car will actually go into production. Currently in 2019 the most similar options from VW are Caravelle and California, two awesome rides.

In Europe, diesel cars make up about 50% of the total cars on the road, however only about 3% in the US. While petrol engines rely on ignition and a spark to create velocity, diesel engines use compression. Air is drawn into the motor and subjected to high compression as it heats up.

The fuel emits less carbon dioxide gas, which is the main contributor to greenhouse gasses creating a global warming problem. The engines do, however, produce higher amounts of nitrogen oxide which can be linked to serious health hazards and also produces more smog.

The fuel also contains more energy than petrol which means that users tend to acquire 20 - 40% better fuel economy, allowing some diesel cars to travel as far as 700 miles on a single tank of gas, due to being one of the most dense and energy efficient fuels on the market. They even deliver better fuel economy than gasoline-electric hybrid motors. Initially, diesel fuel was a lot cheaper than petrol by the gallon, however prices tend to be roughly the same on today's markets, but providing these higher prices don't succeed the 20-40% margin set by the stronger fuel economy, diesel will remain cheaper overall than traditional gasoline.

The engines are designed to withstand more compression, and therefore, tend to last a lot longer before they require major reparation work than standard petrol engines. Mercedes Benz holds a record for clocking over 900,000 miles on a car's original diesel engine. Engine reliability and lifetime longevity can have serious benefits to trade-in and resale values. When you do have to pay for maintenance, it can be a little more costly as diesel engines tend to include more technology than petrol engines.

Modern diesel engines tend to be faster from a standing start. Because of how the diesel fuel is burned, more torque is provided to the driveshaft. For the same reasons, diesel engines tend to have an increased haulage capacity, making it a popular choice for larger vehicles and for commercial trucking companies. They may be faster off the starting line, but petroleum engines tend to be faster overall, however diesel engines tend to be stronger and more enduring, despite being a little slower.

Technology is constantly improving for diesel engines and they are forever becoming cleaner and emitting lower emissions due to specialised catalytic converters, advanced sisters and other devices cutting down and destroying toxic emissions. These advancements have also eliminated some of the earlier problems with diesel linked to excessive noise problems and have also reduced maintenance costs. They are also less likely to spew black smoke out of the exhaust, which made early users believe the fuel was dirty and worse for the environment than petrol.

Diesel cars retain their value a lot longer than their petroleum counterparts. According to ALG, compact diesel cars held 63% of their value after 36 months, whereas gasoline cars only retained 53%.

Since 2006, every car to win the 24 hour race Le Mans burned diesel instead of petrol, proving it's ability for endurance and longer journeys over petrol cars.

With the rise in popularity of automatic cars, the demand for manual transmission vehicles is slowly on the decline. Only 6.5% of cars sold in America use manual transmission, and although this figure is much higher in other countries, automatic cars are steadily increasing in number. While there are a number of legitimate reasons to drive an automatic, there are a few good reasons why a manual transmission might just be better for you.

The biggest argument for owning a manual transmission is the fuel economy. While automatic engines are quickly developing and catching up with their manual counterparts, fuel economy can increase as much as 15% when driving manual. This is due to the additional fuel requirements of the torque converter and hydraulic pump as well as the car not always automatically choosing the most economic gear to drive in. Not only does driving an automatic save you on fuel, the initial price of a car with a manual engine tends to be cheaper than an automatic, especially when looking at the bottom end of the market.

Money aside, a lot of drivers choose to drive a manual for the feel. A lot of people argue they are more fun to drive as the driver is much more involved with how the vehicle operates, but also driving a manual means you have a lot more control over the performance of the car. The driver has the ability to choose the exact gear that is required for the situation, and in some driving conditions it pays to have a higher or lower gear than what an automatic torque converter pushing you forwards chooses for you. It is also much easier to perform an engine brake or to use the momentum of the engine to slow yourself down. The cars tend to be lighter, have less power loss and quicker acceleration and so the performance, when driven properly, is somewhat increased.

Manual drivers also argue that there are less distractions when driving a manual as you have to concentrate more on the operation of the vehicle and so therefore have less capacity to let your mind wander, although it could be argued that with less to do to operate the vehicle, one could concentrate better on what is happening on the road.

Manual cars tend to be cheaper to maintain as their engines are less complicated. The most common aspect to repair is the clutch which often doesn't require maintenance for thousands of miles. Manual engines also use engine oil as opposed to automatic transmission fluid which doesn't deteriorate as quickly and therefore doesn't need to be changed as frequently either.

With less people opting for manual engines, it is becoming rare to see somebody using that third pedal and a gear stick, although this could be to your advantage. In terms of security, there are less people who are able to drive your car and so the chances of it being successfully stolen are lower.

Lastly, for those who are able to drive manual cars and possess a license that allows it, you are also able to drive automatic cars, which doesn't work vice versa. By owning a manual license, you keep your options open should you wish to switch to automatic transmission in the future.

As fuel prices constantly rise and oil reserves are becoming worryingly reduced, electricity is becoming a much more desirable fuel for our transportation and becoming increasingly popular. As well as being by far the greenest way to power your mobility, it comes with a number of other benefits that are worth considering when you are deciding which kind of car to purchase.

The environment - while your car itself does produce zero emissions, it is worth mentioning that unless the means of generating the electricity were environmentally friendly, your car is not completely green. There are solar charging options, and also companies such as GreenPower who produce green electricity you can put into your car to reduce your emissions even further. Electric vehicles tend to be more environmentally conscious right from production, and are often made using eco-friendly materials, reducing your impact further. Some people even have charging stations at their homes, eliminating the need to go to a gas station.

Reducing the harmful emissions from your personal vehicle is also beneficial to your health. By reducing the emissions you are improving the air quality, and owning an electronic vehicle also reduces noise pollution as they tend to be quieter than a petrol or diesel engine.

They're cheaper to run - electricity to power a vehicle can cost as little as a third per a kilometre of the price of a petrol engine. In some places, such as London, there are economic benefits as one doesn't have to pay additional congestion charges when they own certain electric car models that others do. Also in Victoria, Australia, electronic vehicles receive a $100 reduction in registration fees annually. They're also cheaper to maintain as they have a lot less moving parts in the engine than a conventional petrol or diesel engine and no expensive exhaust systems. Electronic vehicle batteries are usually warranted for around 8 years. Some users have reported savings of up to $10,000 a year.

Electronic vehicles are also becoming more popular, which means there is more demand for developments in the market. Over time, the price will continue to reduce and improvements to the vehicles will be made as car companies compete with each other, benefitting the buyers of electronic vehicles.

Electronic vehicles tend to have a lower centre of gravity which basically means they are less likely to roll over. Due to the specifications of their engines they are less likely to catch fire or explode in accidents.

There are a few disadvantages to be aware of when owning an electric vehicle. They do tend to have a limited range as most commercial electric vehicles can't go further than 100 miles on a single recharge. For some people, this is a long way to go and more than sufficient, however for any longer distance travel this is problematic. Refuelling or recharging can take a few hours, and again, for drivers who don't exceed standard milage, providing they remember to charge their car overnight, this isn't a problem, but can be for people who travel further.

Currently there is not too much choice on the market, although this will change quicky over time. The vehicles that are available are initially expensive to buy, however this doesn't represent the long term savings which the user benefits from.