Green Flag

Volkswagen's Transporter turns 60

17 March 2010

The iconic Transporter van is celebrating its 60th birthday this month.

One of Volkswagen's most successful commercial vehicles, the Transporter first went into production in March 1950.

Over the past six decades the company has produced more than 10 million vans across five generations of the model.

It first arrived in Britain in 1955 as the T1 'split-screen' model powered by a four-cylinder, air-cooled, 1.1-litre rear-mounted petrol engine.

The manufacturer said: "Although the design has evolved over the years, the first and the latest Transporter share the same badge on the front and the same design principles of a generous loadspace and an enviable reputation for quality and durability.

"Similarly, comparing the latest Volkswagen California with a T1 campervan shows that both make efficient use of the space available to create a vehicle equally suitable for daily trips to work or the shops, as for weekend escapes or continental capers."

Copyright © Press Association 2010