These vehicles were slow, didn’t stop too well, and were not exactly spacious. Mpg was around 25, and you never wanted to be behind one on a hill, even a shallow hill. They had length but were not really any wider than a car, making them easy to park up anywhere, and had a lot of equipment in them for the size. Best of all, they were not so large that they were impractical as a daily drive.
The T1 has a droopy face look, big eyes and it looks friendly. It isn’t an intimidating vehicle like other vans and conversions. It’s a VW which means that it is well constructed and reliable. Most of all, it is ‘home from home’.. see below
After a searing day on the beach, tired from wandering around a seaside resort, or ravaged from a few hours at the amusements, you could open up the side and relax. Brilliant stuff as long as there was only two of you.
For more, you had to hitch up a caravan, get the weight distribution right (few ever did), remember to get a tow hitch fitted every time that you changed your vehicle, become the most hated sight on the roads during the summer period…… haha..
The T1 also made a great canvas for self expression..
If you had given this treatment to a Bedford CA or a Commer FC, you’d be spending many days in the ‘house on the hill’, but it suits the character of the VW.
As is usual with Euro vans, the Type 2 T1 was available in whatever version you wanted, from camper van as shown,, to panel van,high top panel van, pick-up, ambulance, paddy wagon, minibus, you name it and somebody somewhere was producing a conversion kit.
