An Ode to to Volkswagen Kombi

A beacon of light to the free-thinker dream-seeker, the Volkswagen Kombi is heralded as an iconic piece of motor history.

So what makes this brightly coloured, square-like hunk on wheels so appealing to everyone from vanlifers to corporate suits? Aside from the sheer allure of it, this rolling house symbolises a lifestyle that is free, easy, and full of adventure. Who doesn’t want that?

Before we break into a love song, let’s dive into the history of the Kombinationskraftwagen, better known as the Kombi.

| The Beginning

Designed in the 1950s by the Dutch inventor Ben Pon, the Kombi was a simple vehicle. Perhaps Ben was raging against the flashy, long-fendered, chrome-plated machine that was ’50s car design, or maybe he was just trying to keep production costs down. The van was designed and adapted from the original T1 beetle, with a little more room to live.

The vehicle was inspired by a parts-mover Pon observed during a visit to the Volkswagen Wolfsburg factory, which got him thinking about how the VW Beetle could be developed into a commercial vehicle.

The Kombi was officially called the Volkswagen T1 Transporter. The first version was lovingly referred to as ‘Splitty’, due to its splitscreen front window, and achieved mass adoration almost immediately. Thus began it’s long, strange trip of groovy designs, icon status, and more. Hop on the journey to learn more.