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.