1/24 Revell Germany VW T1 SAMBA BUS 7399

The origin of all of today's vans and transporters can be traced back to the panel truck used for in-plant transport at Volkswagen's Wolfsburg plant in the late 1940s, which inspired Dutch importer Ben Pon to come up with an idea for a transport vehicle. VW developed several prototypes for a spacious vehicle suitable for transport purposes in the late 1940s. Since none of the initially desired names could be used without restriction, the new vehicle class was given the name Transporter . The first-generation Transporter went into series production on March 8, 1950. The vehicle, with its typical V-shaped front end and split windshield, was available in various versions, including a minibus. The technology was based on that of the Volkswagen Type 1, the so-called Beetle, so the T1 had an air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine. The output of the reliable rear-mounted 1.2-liter engine increased to 34 hp from 1961. The luxury version of the minibus, the nine-seater special model, is still ca