Now here's one for messrs Sheer and Young (both ardent VW Camper Van fans).It's 60 years since Volkswagen produced the first design for a van that changed the world. Yet the birth of the legendary VW Camper Van was somewhat strange as Biglorryblog is proud to reveal. It seems that in 1947, a vehicle that Volkswagen staff had built to transport heavy panels around VW's Wolfsburg factory provided the inspiration for the concept sketch for the first Volkswagen T1 van, complete with its famous split-windscreen.
And the rest, as they say is history. Since the launch of the original T1 right up to the current T5, VW Transporters have been put to a wide variety of uses – as a load carrier, holiday campervan, people carrier, and perhaps most famously as the iconic cool transport of choice for the flower-power generation and the surfing community.
I never had one myself...I was more of a skin-head...well I am now at any rate. But I digress.
Anyway here's the doodle that launched a 1,000 microvans...well probably a few more than that.
And for all of you with a VW Campervan or Transporter who aren't doing anything on October 5,6 and 7th VW is hosting an international event at the Hanover exhibition centre in Germany in celebration of the aforementioned model from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 October 2007.
Apparently this is the first time VW Commercial Vehicles will have hosted such an event and hundreds of unusual and historic Volkswagen vans are expected to make the journey to Hanover. The weekend will kick off with a convoy of historic Volkswagen vans, while there'll also be a display of Volkswagen vans from every decade and a showcase of owners’ own models. Prizes will also be awarded for the ‘Oldest T1, T2, T3’ plus ‘The Most attractive T1 to T5’, ‘The Most original T1, T2, T3’; ‘The Furthest journey’; and ‘Pimp my Bulli’ (Whatever that means...Dave can you give me an explanation of this young person's jargon?).
There are over 3,000 parking spaces available and a weekend ticket costs €25 per vehicle. For more information, or for anyone with a Volkswagen van or camper wanting to attend, there is a link to a website for the event at www.vwn.de. Well now Craig, you've got to be in with a shout from Cornwall haven't you?
hello, is there anyone who knows if this is going to happen every year?
and if it is happening this year 09 when and where?