If somebody would decide to pick one van that contributed to the history of humanity the most, Volkswagen Type 2 would make a pretty strong case for itself. This vehicle, based on the underpinnings of VW Beetle, is known by an incredible variety of names and that just illustrates how many functions the car has served. VW Bus, produced for more than half of a century in 4 continents, has become a true historical icon.

Just like many most iconic automobiles, VW Type 2 has a humble working class beginning – based on the practical Beetle (also known as Type 1), Type 2 was meant to help Post-WWII Germany recover as well as provide foreign businesses with a compact transport vehicle to transport goods or people around. Type 2’s creation is attributed to a Dutch Volkswagen importer, Ben Pon, who saw a niche for a small bus and pitched the idea to VW. Exporting VW Buses to US later earned Pon a huge fortune.

Initial prototypes of Type 2 were terribly un-aerodynamic, so wind tunnel testing was in order. Along with other improvements, the engineers decided to split the windshield in two, giving it a slight V shape. As a result, the van had a better drag coefficient than the Beetle it was based on and its fans called the first iteration of the bus a “Splitty” after the iconic windscreen. The improved aerodynamics helped the VW Bus to maintain a decent speed on the highway, and it was a necessity, considering that at first, the van utilized a 24 bhp flat-four from the Beetle…