Post by ferrari512s on Jan 27, 2014 22:15:29 GMT -5
The Volkswagen Van
What a cool looking iconic retro bus this turned out to be! Made by the Volkswagen auto company, who also manufactured the "people's" car we know lovingly today as the bug or beetle.
Now depending on the body type it is also referred to as the:
-Volkswagen Transporter
-Volkswagen Kombi
-Volkswagen Microbus
-Volkswagen Bus (US)
-Volkswagen Camper (UK)
- Microbus
- Minibus
- Hippie van
- Let's not forget Rear Loading Beach Bomb!
- Side Loading Beach Bomb!
- What about Sunagon
- Beach Bomb Pick-up!
- Hey Kombi Kool is a nice name too!!!
Surprisingly this was only Volkswagen's second car model design ever made!
Yeah, I know quite shocking the information you uncover once you start researching a subject topic.
So the Van is production model is known as "number 2" and hence the name "Volkswagen Type 2".
This German automaker pulls no punches when it comes to naming their cars! No place for fancy or exotic titles here...
So what is the first model they ever made? Think hard for this one...
The initial model they developed does have a name too.
Here goes...Volkswagen's first model is...wait for it... the "Type 1" (a.k.a. beetle or bug).
So the Van model was hence given the factory designation "Type 2".
Ya gotta love that!
And now a word from our Wiki sponsor on this subject...
"As one of the forerunners of the modern cargo and passenger vans, the Type 2 gave rise to forward control competitors in the United States in the 1960s, including the Ford Econoline, the Dodge A100, and the Chevrolet Corvair 95 Corvan, the latter adopting the Type 2's rear-engine configuration.
European competition included the 1960s FF layout Renault Estafette and the FR layout Ford Transit.
Like the Beetle, the van has received numerous nicknames worldwide, including the "microbus", "minibus", and, because of its popularity during the counterculture movement of the 1960s, "Hippie van". Now I like that title, it really suits it!
Brazil contained the last factory in the world that produced the T2. Production in Brazil ceased on December 31, 2013, due to the introduction of more stringent safety regulations in the country."
Talk about a long 63 year production run for a car model!
Is that a record?
No, not quite, that is a close second!
So what car has the longest production run?
Answer: The Volkswagen Type 1 "the Bug" was produced for 65 years! (You probably saw that coming).
The Hot Wheels Volkswagen Van!
Ya gotta love this one below. All dressed up with the Hot Wheels logo and sponsor decals. That is retro...
Way too cool!
The Hot Wheels Version of the Volkswagen Van was suggested sometime in 1968 by Ira Gilford, Hot Wheels second designer!
TOP SECRET-CLASSIFIED-REDACTED
(Below is an undisclosed and undocumented discussion amongst Hot Wheels employees...late 1968)
Hey Ira, why don't we call this far out VW Van the "Hippie Van" or the "Beach Bomb"! That would be so radical!
But why Larry? Well hey, listen to this funky idea, let's throw in some surfboards on the back of the Van, you know like Harry did on the Deora and let's give it some flower power decals. Kids will dig that!
Hey yeah, that would be...groovy! I can dig it too! .
Yeah, cool, let's go with it then...really like that flower power decal idea! Larry, you're far out man!
You got the right stuff! Right on!
Yeah, Beach Bomb, I can really dig it! Let's hope Elliott the main man likes it too!
Images courtesy of Robinator
Later on one evening...Engineering division message to Ira...
From Bobby and Van Nyes...
Hey Ira, that VW Bus bomb thing you had us produce is way too narrow man! What gives! We followed the blueprint specs you gave us to the letter.
Dude, we just tested a few of these (FEP) Beach Bombs on the track with the Supercharger and they shot into the air and across the room!
What's going on here!!! Man oh man, Van Nyes was hit in the head with one. Took all of us by surprise. Heck, we still can't find some of these cars...the slingshot is like a groovy effect but not what we were expecting! (These concerns were raised by Bob, the engineer guy).
So Ira... you gotta do something here, can you make it wider or modify it in some way?
Some kids are going get a hurting by this flying car. Van Nyes is feeling the pain now. The main man won't be happy with us! He`s hip to the bomb too.
Like, don't get us wrong, we dig the Van, its so now and with the times! We just need this model to stay on the track and past the Supercharger!
Give it some weight or make it wider. Something, anything you can do to help us out! You cool with this?
Images of the Pink Rear Loading Beach Bomb Couresy of Bruce Pascal
Read more about this at seitz.us/nats.html
And so, the Mattel designers did indeed change the look, shape and design of the initial Beach Bomb. They had no choice since the Supercharger track accessory was "KING"! If it couldn't pass the King test then the car project would be scrapped!
The engineers also did try to make the base wider and added a weight to the base. That's also known as the transitional Rear Loading Beach Bomb. It appears Van Nyes must have located one of the missing object that was flung across the room. Van owned this prototype pink Rear Loading Beach Bomb for quite some time. Later on he sold it to Chris Marshall in 1997. Chris later sold this to Indiana Bruce Pascal.
You can see this one from Bruce Pascal's owned rear loading Beach Bomb (above image) that has the wider base which extends on the sides. Yes this is the infamous $72,000 one...
Indiana Bruce even discovered and owned the other pink one that appeared a few years later, 2001, from another Mattel employee collection. It could have been Van Nyes that owned both of them. The mystery or private owner was never revealed.
As I was saying the Hot Wheels engineers did widen the base, added the weight and still had issues with this Supercharger cannon propelled rocket launcher! Sadly the open wheeled Grand Prix cars never passed the test either. These are the:
-Brabham Repco F1
-Indy Eagle
-Lotus Turbine
-Shelby Turbine
Prototype side tanks or fuel pods were developed for them, extensive changes to the base to hold these tanks were made. Then Ruth Handler scrapped the fuel tank project due to the extra costs. A "gravity action sets only" sticker was placed in the blistercard exempting these four models from the evil Supercharger.
How did I manage to digress from our topic? Where was I again?
Oh yeah, ...the Rear Loading Beach Bomb issue...
Ira needed to go back to the drawing board and redesign this. Well a simple adjustment might do the trick as well.
So he made the side panels wider and this now allowed those cool surf boards that Larry suggested to be mounted on the sides of the VW Van rather than the rear engine area.
Cool eh! Bobby the engineer was happy, Van Nyes the other engineer was recovering, Larry, Ira's fellow designer buddy was pleased too!
Even Elliott, you know the main man and also the owner, was please no lawsuits were flung over his way by this accidental VW rocket launcher they created!
But hold on just a little longer!!! I found more stuff! Mattel invaded and the Beach Bomb invaded Comic Con 2013 with this release. Almost stole the show from "Chuck TV" who always have the largest display there.
Ok fine, looking at the stunning packaging you can tell Mattel took some thought in creating this design.
One of the buttons work and lights and sound appear on the display...
Oh yeah!
What a cool looking iconic retro bus this turned out to be! Made by the Volkswagen auto company, who also manufactured the "people's" car we know lovingly today as the bug or beetle.
This transporter I suppose could be referred to as the people's van!
Yes Fahrvergnugen material indeed! The stuff legends are made of!
The Volkswagen Van is also known officially as "The Volkswagen Type 2". At least this is what they classify this at the VW plant.
Now depending on the body type it is also referred to as the:
-Volkswagen Transporter
-Volkswagen Kombi
-Volkswagen Microbus
-Volkswagen Bus (US)
-Volkswagen Camper (UK)
- Microbus
- Minibus
- Hippie van
- Let's not forget Rear Loading Beach Bomb!
- Side Loading Beach Bomb!
- What about Sunagon
- Beach Bomb Pick-up!
- Hey Kombi Kool is a nice name too!!!
I can really dig all these retro models below...There so....groovy!!!
This vehicle is also known as the panel Van and was introduced in 1950 by the German automaker "Volkswagen".
Now isn't that one so cute! What's it called? Perhaps the VW Mini?
Now isn't that one so cute! What's it called? Perhaps the VW Mini?
Ya gotta love this engineering cross-section view show all the hidden compartments and such intricate details...
Surprisingly this was only Volkswagen's second car model design ever made!
Yeah, I know quite shocking the information you uncover once you start researching a subject topic.
So the Van is production model is known as "number 2" and hence the name "Volkswagen Type 2".
This German automaker pulls no punches when it comes to naming their cars! No place for fancy or exotic titles here...
So what is the first model they ever made? Think hard for this one...
The initial model they developed does have a name too.
Here goes...Volkswagen's first model is...wait for it... the "Type 1" (a.k.a. beetle or bug).
So the Van model was hence given the factory designation "Type 2".
Ya gotta love that!
And now a word from our Wiki sponsor on this subject...
"As one of the forerunners of the modern cargo and passenger vans, the Type 2 gave rise to forward control competitors in the United States in the 1960s, including the Ford Econoline, the Dodge A100, and the Chevrolet Corvair 95 Corvan, the latter adopting the Type 2's rear-engine configuration.
European competition included the 1960s FF layout Renault Estafette and the FR layout Ford Transit.
Like the Beetle, the van has received numerous nicknames worldwide, including the "microbus", "minibus", and, because of its popularity during the counterculture movement of the 1960s, "Hippie van". Now I like that title, it really suits it!
Brazil contained the last factory in the world that produced the T2. Production in Brazil ceased on December 31, 2013, due to the introduction of more stringent safety regulations in the country."
Talk about a long 63 year production run for a car model!
Is that a record?
No, not quite, that is a close second!
So what car has the longest production run?
Answer: The Volkswagen Type 1 "the Bug" was produced for 65 years! (You probably saw that coming).
The Hot Wheels Volkswagen Van!
Ya gotta love this one below. All dressed up with the Hot Wheels logo and sponsor decals. That is retro...
Way too cool!
The Hot Wheels Version of the Volkswagen Van was suggested sometime in 1968 by Ira Gilford, Hot Wheels second designer!
TOP SECRET-CLASSIFIED-REDACTED
(Below is an undisclosed and undocumented discussion amongst Hot Wheels employees...late 1968)
Hey Ira, why don't we call this far out VW Van the "Hippie Van" or the "Beach Bomb"! That would be so radical!
But why Larry? Well hey, listen to this funky idea, let's throw in some surfboards on the back of the Van, you know like Harry did on the Deora and let's give it some flower power decals. Kids will dig that!
Hey yeah, that would be...groovy! I can dig it too! .
Yeah, cool, let's go with it then...really like that flower power decal idea! Larry, you're far out man!
You got the right stuff! Right on!
Yeah, Beach Bomb, I can really dig it! Let's hope Elliott the main man likes it too!
Images courtesy of Robinator
Later on one evening...Engineering division message to Ira...
From Bobby and Van Nyes...
Hey Ira, that VW Bus bomb thing you had us produce is way too narrow man! What gives! We followed the blueprint specs you gave us to the letter.
Dude, we just tested a few of these (FEP) Beach Bombs on the track with the Supercharger and they shot into the air and across the room!
What's going on here!!! Man oh man, Van Nyes was hit in the head with one. Took all of us by surprise. Heck, we still can't find some of these cars...the slingshot is like a groovy effect but not what we were expecting! (These concerns were raised by Bob, the engineer guy).
So Ira... you gotta do something here, can you make it wider or modify it in some way?
Some kids are going get a hurting by this flying car. Van Nyes is feeling the pain now. The main man won't be happy with us! He`s hip to the bomb too.
Like, don't get us wrong, we dig the Van, its so now and with the times! We just need this model to stay on the track and past the Supercharger!
Give it some weight or make it wider. Something, anything you can do to help us out! You cool with this?
Images of the Pink Rear Loading Beach Bomb Couresy of Bruce Pascal
Read more about this at seitz.us/nats.html
And so, the Mattel designers did indeed change the look, shape and design of the initial Beach Bomb. They had no choice since the Supercharger track accessory was "KING"! If it couldn't pass the King test then the car project would be scrapped!
The engineers also did try to make the base wider and added a weight to the base. That's also known as the transitional Rear Loading Beach Bomb. It appears Van Nyes must have located one of the missing object that was flung across the room. Van owned this prototype pink Rear Loading Beach Bomb for quite some time. Later on he sold it to Chris Marshall in 1997. Chris later sold this to Indiana Bruce Pascal.
You can see this one from Bruce Pascal's owned rear loading Beach Bomb (above image) that has the wider base which extends on the sides. Yes this is the infamous $72,000 one...
Indiana Bruce even discovered and owned the other pink one that appeared a few years later, 2001, from another Mattel employee collection. It could have been Van Nyes that owned both of them. The mystery or private owner was never revealed.
As I was saying the Hot Wheels engineers did widen the base, added the weight and still had issues with this Supercharger cannon propelled rocket launcher! Sadly the open wheeled Grand Prix cars never passed the test either. These are the:
-Brabham Repco F1
-Indy Eagle
-Lotus Turbine
-Shelby Turbine
Prototype side tanks or fuel pods were developed for them, extensive changes to the base to hold these tanks were made. Then Ruth Handler scrapped the fuel tank project due to the extra costs. A "gravity action sets only" sticker was placed in the blistercard exempting these four models from the evil Supercharger.
How did I manage to digress from our topic? Where was I again?
Oh yeah, ...the Rear Loading Beach Bomb issue...
Ira needed to go back to the drawing board and redesign this. Well a simple adjustment might do the trick as well.
So he made the side panels wider and this now allowed those cool surf boards that Larry suggested to be mounted on the sides of the VW Van rather than the rear engine area.
Cool eh! Bobby the engineer was happy, Van Nyes the other engineer was recovering, Larry, Ira's fellow designer buddy was pleased too!
Even Elliott, you know the main man and also the owner, was please no lawsuits were flung over his way by this accidental VW rocket launcher they created!
And the rest as they say is history....
Or is it?
There were some other failed prototpye Beach Bombs....
This micro VW Beach Bomb was way too small. An engineering experiment that went wrong perhaps?
This micro VW Beach Bomb was way too small. An engineering experiment that went wrong perhaps?
This VW Beach Bomb was painted enamel red with a black roof! Another Mattel employee lunch time project...
But wait, the Hot Wheels VW story doesn't end here!
Oh no, Mattel has done a plenty of other vw things....
Take a look at these spicy images below...
This is the Kombi Cool style van...
Released in 2013!
This is the Kombi Cool style van...
Released in 2013!
The flat back pick-up diggity dog Beach Bomb style that certainly Jack Surfin' Rabbit Wheeler would totally dig!!! ...This one kind of reminds me of the Dodge A100 pick-up truck.
(Does anyone recall what Harry Bradley did with this truck?)
(Hint and answer: Deora)
(Does anyone recall what Harry Bradley did with this truck?)
(Hint and answer: Deora)
What about this one...
And this view...Hey, I like the sunroof option on this.
Followed by this angle...
Oh I have this profile also...
But hold on just a little longer!!! I found more stuff! Mattel invaded and the Beach Bomb invaded Comic Con 2013 with this release. Almost stole the show from "Chuck TV" who always have the largest display there.
Hot Wheels unleashed the Asteroids VW Beach Bomb! The car and the packaging for this is amazing!
Foget about the packing right took, take a look at the Van and the graphics on this. Cool or what!
Foget about the packing right took, take a look at the Van and the graphics on this. Cool or what!
Ok fine, looking at the stunning packaging you can tell Mattel took some thought in creating this design.
One of the buttons work and lights and sound appear on the display...
Oh yeah!
Then there's the orange Kombi...Larry and Ira would love this one for sure....look at those graphics...cool man, really with it!
I dig it too!
I dig it too!
The orange and green flavors! A great Kombi Kombo!
The Kombi Florida orange crush style!
The Kombi blistercard artwork! Green was the initial color released.
Wow, now that's radical! We were discussing the Kombi Cool van and this comes out of nowhere!
The VW Wolfman Bus...
This is from another cool Nostalgic series Mattel released in 2013. I really dig that one!
The VW Wolfman Bus...
This is from another cool Nostalgic series Mattel released in 2013. I really dig that one!
Can you dig into the Toy Fair 2013 model...
Those wheels, the spectraflame color, the power flowers the waves...
Groooooooooooooooovy!!!
Those wheels, the spectraflame color, the power flowers the waves...
Groooooooooooooooovy!!!
It is so cute! Who knew this mini van could become such a hit for Hot Wheels!
Images are also courtesy of these websites below...cool info too!
lamleydlm.blogspot.ca/2013/03/first-look-hot-wheels-kool-kombi-recolor.html
lamleydlm.blogspot.ca/2013/10/model-of-day-hot-wheels-pop-culture.html
lamleydlm.blogspot.ca/2013/03/first-look-hot-wheels-kool-kombi-recolor.html
lamleydlm.blogspot.ca/2013/10/model-of-day-hot-wheels-pop-culture.html
The End...
Seems like do don't believe me...
You're still scrolling down...
What are you expecting to find...
Hmmm...
You're still scrolling down...
What are you expecting to find...
Hmmm...
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops.
I think I missed something...
Did I not mention the VW Drag Bus?
Did I not mention the VW Drag Bus?
Yeah, the coolest, the heaviest, the most popular Hot Wheels model of all time!
This one needs to have its own Hit Song! Its that popular...
This one needs to have its own Hit Song! Its that popular...
You like Treasure Hunts? Well I sure like the way this VW Drag Bus turned out.
And what about this VW 2 car set...
Oh Yea!
Oh Yea!
And customizers have come on board and made some stunning renditions of the VW Bus!
I spot the Red Baron and a Zowees car in this graphics of this VW Drag Bus.
I spot the Red Baron and a Zowees car in this graphics of this VW Drag Bus.
This one is so out there!
Me love it...
Me love it...
I have this feeling Tom Daniel would be quite pleased to see the graphics on this VW Van.
Ah yes, so there's the Zowees bandito sporting Redline Era slicks...
Images courtesy of:
darthvaderr.blogspot.ca/2013/01/liberty-promotions-vw-drag-bus-2007.html
But there over 100, yes over 100 re-issues of the VW Drag Bus...
And we almost had this one too...
darthvaderr.blogspot.ca/2013/01/liberty-promotions-vw-drag-bus-2007.html
But there over 100, yes over 100 re-issues of the VW Drag Bus...
And we almost had this one too...
Then someone at Mattel said that's way too sixtysh! Make it bigger and with the times. Yeah man, its the 90's!
Not this one either, it was rejected too. There are plenty of other VW Drag Bus flavors and most recently a color changer with a plastic frame was released!
(FEP - First Engineering Productions. According to myths and legends 24 Rear Loading Beach Bomb were made)
(FEP - First Engineering Productions. According to myths and legends 24 Rear Loading Beach Bomb were made)