In our penultimate episode of Season 3 we are celebrating an unsung hero of transport and none more so than the Volkswagen Transporter T3. There are very few original T3 panel vans still on the road and fewer still are customised versions like this lovely machine seen in January 2023 in Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
Six generations of Volkswagen Transporter have been produced since its production began on March 8th 1950. Over the past 74 years, more than 13 million units have been built.
In the 1950s, VW was solely focused on producing the Beetle (Type 1) and had not even considered a van. The credit for the VW van (Type 2) goes to Dutch Volkswagen importer Ben Pon, who during his 1946 visit to the Wolfsburg factory observed an improvised factory parts-mover called the “plattewagen” and recognised the potential for something superior using the standard Type 1 chassis.
In a doodle dated April 23rd, 1947, Pon proposed a forward control design with a 690 kg payload, placing the driver at the front and the engine at the rear, akin to the VW Beetle. The shape was refined in a wind tunnel for improved fuel efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The first generation (T1) officially launched in March 1950 with the Beetle’s engine and gearbox, boasting a 750kg payload as a panel van, kombi and eight-seater bus. By the end of T1 production in 1967, 1.9 million units were built, achieving cultural icon status in the hippie flower-power movement.
Produced from 1967 to 1979, the T2 evolved significantly with a front redesign that improved visibility by eliminating the split windscreen. It maintained the same wheelbase, featured an extended body, increased payload to 900kg, had a more powerful engine and included a standard sliding side door. In 1971, it reached a milestone by producing three million units, setting a record for the longest continuous production of its type.
This authors family had an orange T2 for many years and I have many fond memories of weekend trips to Annestown in Co Waterford and the unforgettable summer of 1976 camping in England.
By 1979, the T3 featured in our story had undergone a comprehensive transformation, and the model had become wider, longer and more spacious inside. Produced from 1979 to 1992, the T3 initially kept air-cooled engines, despite a higher body weight and an upgraded 995kg payload. This resulted in slower performance and even slower sales making this survivor T3 Transporter even rarer.
In the mid-1980s, the T3 saw improvements with the introduction of water-cooled and diesel engines, turbochargers and all-wheel drive. By 1986, the Transporter was available in 180 different markets and sales surpassed six million units.
Information sources:
Auto Motor Klassie
Parkers
The Truth About Cars
