Volkswagen Transporter
The Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its sixth generation, refers to a series of vans produced over 60 years and marketed worldwide.
The T series is now considered an official Volkswagen Group automotive platform.[1][2] and generations are sequentially named T1, T2, T3, T4,T5 and T6. Pre-dating the T platform designations, the first three generations were named Type 2, indicating their relative position to the Type 1, or Beetle. As part of the T platform, the first three generations are retroactively named T1, T2 and T3.
The Transporter is the best-selling van in history with over 12 million units sold worldwide,[3] and it comprises a gamut of variants including vans, minivans, minibuses, pick-ups, campervans. Competitors include the Ford Transit, Toyota Hiace and Mercedes-Benz Vito.
T1 – Type 2 (1950–1967)

.jpg)
- Main article: Volkswagen Type 2 (T1)
Initially derived from the Volkswagen Type 1 (Volkswagen Beetle), the Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) was the first generation of Volkswagen's Transporter family.
T2 – Type 2 (1967–1979)


The Volkswagen T2 platform[2] was marketed from 1967 through 1979 model years, with a Volkswagen Type 4 engine optionally available from 1972 on.
T3 – Type 2 (1979–1992)

_CL_van_(2015-12-07)_02.jpg)
The Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), also known as the T25, or Vanagon in the United States, was one of the last new Volkswagen platforms to use an air-cooled engine. The Volkswagen air-cooled engine was succeeded by a water-cooled boxer engine (still rear-mounted) in 1983.
T4 – Transporter (1990–2003)

_2.5_LWB_van_(28100918995).jpg)
The first officially designated "T platform" vehicle, the Volkswagen Transporter (T4)[1] dramatically updated the Volkswagen van line by using a front-mounted, front-wheel drive, water-cooled engine. The T4 was marketed in North America as the Volkswagen Eurovan.
T5 – Transporter (2003–2016)
2003-2009 (pre facelift)


The Volkswagen Transporter (T5)[1][2] is the current variant of the Volkswagen T platform. In North America it is sold in Mexico but not in the United States or Canada. As with other light trucks, the T5 range would face a 25% tariff, known as the chicken tax, if imported to the US.
2009-2016 (facelift)
_TDI340_SWB_van_(17840166200).jpg)
_%E2%80%93_Heckansicht%2C_17._April_2011%2C_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpg)
The Transporter T5 range received a facelift in late 2009. Updated powertrain options include common rail diesel engines, and a world-first usage in a light commercial vehicle of a dual clutch transmission – namely Volkswagen Group's 7-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG).
T6 – Transporter (2016-present)
In 2016, Volkswagen released the latest iteration of the Transporter, the T6.
References
- 1 2 3 "Europe's slight rise & anticipated decline – Auto by the Numbers – car sales, production in Western Europe – Illustration – Statistical Data Included". Automotive Design & Production, April 2002 by Mark Fulthorpe / Gardner Publications, Inc. / Gale Group. CBS Interactive Business UK. 2002. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- 1 2 3 "Im Fokus: Volkswagen – Kernkompetenz: Sparen" (PDF). CSM Worldwide (in German). Automobil-Produktion.de. March 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ↑ "Top 20 best-selling vans of all time". Parkers Van News. Bauer Media. 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
External links
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Volkswagen Type 2. |
- Volkswagen Transporter Guide
- Volkswagen Group corporate website
- Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles corporate website
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, a marque of the Volkswagen Group, car timeline, European market, 1950–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
Sedan delivery | Caddy I | Caddy II | Caddy III | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pickup truck | Taro | Amarok | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Campervan | Westfalia California | California (T5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Panel van derivatives | Type 2 (T1) | Type 2 (T2) | Transporter (T3) | Transporter (T4) | Transporter (T5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LT I | LT II | Crafter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Concepts and future models: Microbus Concept | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Volkswagen Passenger Cars, a marque of the Volkswagen Group, car timeline, North American market, 1950–1979 — next » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||
Economy | Beetle (Type 1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compact | Fastback / Squareback (Type 3) | Rabbit I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dasher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mid-size | Type 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
K70 (NSU) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coupé | Karmann Ghia | Scirocco I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Convertible | Beetle Convertible | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Karmann Ghia Convertible | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
181 Thing / Safari | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Van | Microbus (Type 2 - T1) | Microbus (Type 2 - T2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
« previous — Volkswagen Passenger Cars, a marque of the Volkswagen Group, car timeline, United States/Canada market, 1980–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
Subcompact | Fox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compact | Rabbit I | Golf II | Golf III | Golf IV | Rabbit V | Golf VI | Golf VII | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jetta I | Jetta II | Jetta III | Jetta IV | Jetta V | Jetta VI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dasher | New Beetle | Beetle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mid-size | Quantum | Passat III | Passat IV | Passat V | Passat VI | Passat VII | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full-size | Phaeton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coupé | Scirocco I | Scirocco II | Corrado | CC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Convertible | Rabbit Convertible | Cabriolet | Cabrio | Eos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Beetle Convertible | Beetle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Van | Vanagon | Eurovan | Routan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pickup | Rabbit Pickup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Crossover | Tiguan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mid-size SUV | Touareg | Touareg II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|