Perfect choice of tune…
Archives for posts with tag: VW
Nothing to do with the Skip Rats? Oooh I think it is…
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world – are the ones who do.
The highly-collectable first generation of the Type 2 Microbus is famous for its distinctive Volkswagan air-cooled engine and split front windscreen and is know with great affection among enthusiasts as the Splittie. This basic but extremely characterful vehicle was among the first Volkswagon Transporters to roll off the production line at the Wolfsburg factory during March 1950 and the company continued to produce it for a further 17 years. It was the birth of a whole new motoring era – and very unlikely that those people who watched the first T1s leave the factory realise how important the vehicle was set to become, in both automotive and in cultural terms.
The first T1s were produced at the rate of 10 a day. But demand soon outstripped supply and in 1956 Volkswagen’s in-house production was switch to a brand-new Transporter factory in Hanover, staffed by around 5000 employees. Here the production rate reached 250 vehicles a day before eventually being discontinued and transferring to Brazil in 1967. There the T1 marque went on to enjoy further modifications and years of success while successive evolutions of the Transporter continued to be produced in Germany. Production of the Camper model was also famously subcontracted to the manufacture Westfalia from 1951.
The T1’s power came from a flat four-cylinder, rear mounted, 1.2-litre boxer engine which produced 25 horse power although it was upgraded in later Transporters eventually reaching a breakneck 40hp.
These days, proud Splittie owners make up a large part of the classic VW owners’ community and are only too keen to share details and pictures of their own beloved vehicles as well as trading information on maintenance and restoration. All this goes to show how desirable and collectable the Splittie, especially the ‘Barndoor’ model, actually is. The Barndoor nickname is often misused, possibly to inflate the price of a model, actually refers to a particular pre-1955 variant, the T1a, which had a very large rear access door for the engine compartment.
Other models included the T1b and T1c which had slight modifications to the cab, wheels, doors or engine, the T1c introducing a optional side-mounted sliding door. The launch of the T1.5 Brazilian model in 1967 introduced probably the most desired and now rarest Type 2, the 23-window Samba.
Splitties are rare and much-sort-after vehicles that can be difficult to track down. Prospective owners should certainly not expect to be able to pick one up easily or for a bargain price, especially one that is in above-average condition and can expect to pay close to the price of a newish T5 California.
Coming soon…
Know your dubs: Type 2 T2
Hey Skip Rats! Click and download the new logo (Skip Rats only mind). You could use it as a screen saver on your computer or phone. If you need a bigger version for print drop me a line. I’ve draw it up as a vector file so it’s infinitely scalable for T-Shirts, flags, stickers, pretty much anything. Catch ya later!
Skip Rat Dubs 