The boxy Volkswagen Transporter arrived on American shores in 1949. Using regular Beetle mechanical components, Transporters quickly evolved into mini people carriers. Dubbed the Microbus, Volkswagen’s unique vehicle became the trademark of a burgeoning hippie counterculture. The combination of economy and practicality made them an instant hit with the flower-power generation. Before long, their slab sides were adorned with Grateful Dead decals and painted flowers.

The standard bus had 11- windows. Deluxe models had 15-windows. The sunroof deluxe versions had eight skylight windows and is known as the 23-window. A 13-window and 21-window version were produced starting in 1963.

The Volkswagen Type 2 Van was introduced in 1950 and was the second production line of vehicles introduced by Volkswagen. The first model was the Type 1 Beetle. The idea for the Type 2 came from the Dutch VW importer named Ben Pon who created the designs in 1947. Many of the vehicles aerodynamic short-comings were resolved in a wind tunnel at the Technical University of Braunschweig. Three years later, the Type 2 began leaving the Wolfsburg factory. The Type 2 was produced from March 8th of 1950 through 2002 with many variations along the way.

More 1966 VW Microbus Photos