Volkswagen to stop production of Kombi after 63 years
This very retro-looking van is not an example from Jay Leno’s vintage collection. This in fact is the 2012 Volkswagen Kombi that is still in production in Brazil.
However, due to more stringent safety regulations, mainly the requirement by the Brazilian government that all new cars must come with dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes as standard equipment, both of which are not equipped in the Kombi, production of the VW van will cease soon. There are no rumours or internet chatter on its replacement either and it sure won’t be the VW Bulli.
This iconic emblem of VW was originally called the Type 2 when it debuted back in 1950. The van is so in touch with its motoring roots that it was only in the last decade that the original air-cooled engine was replaced with a liquid-cooled mill.
Volkswagen is in the habit of giving their designs the ultimate test – the test of time. The original Beetle was produced from 1938 through till 2003 in Mexico, the MkI Golf which was first introduced in 1974 ended production in South Africa only in 2009 and now it’s the Kombi’s turn.
Comments
Bjorn
Lovely vehicle. My Folks had an orange one converted into a camper van and they traveled in it from Germany to Iran by Road, back in their days. Apart from the normal wear and tear, it never broke down once and is still being driven by my Uncle in Iran.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Sounds like a painful adventure. I guess they had the original “hippie” version, as mentioned by the commenter below, and not this one with the big radiator up front.
djsam1900
i love it when hippies drive one of those things with peace sign …
Kent
I am crying, it is very sad to hear Kombi will not be continue production; I used to get on it from my home to the school where I started education, the kindergarden, wow, funny, the time was 1975 when it is not much vehicle running through my hometown, when I was child I get up every morning and my father took me to the carpark to wait for the schoolbus, that was Kombi Van. Everytime I know it approach me by hear the noise from Kombi. Everytime I saw the Kombi toy in toyshop, I would buy it for my collection.