Date:         Thu, 15 Mar 2001 06:22:51 -0500
Reply-To:     Richard Golen <rgolen@UMASSD.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Golen <rgolen@UMASSD.EDU>
Subject:      Re: the "Kombi" ....
Comments: To: Stephen Overmyer <s.overmyer@UWS.EDU.AU>
In-Reply-To:  <3.0.5.32.20010315173214.0082ab10@hotel.uws.edu.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 05:32 PM 3/15/01 +1100, Stephen Overmyer wrote:

>  Kombi in German kinda means station wagon (they call VW Kombis"Bullis")
>  so it doesn't really have to be a base line van,just not specifically
>  a panel,camper,caravelle,carat etc.In can still have carpet and other
>  percieved niceties but it's still a Kombi if it is basically a passenger
>  van/station wagon,although Chris's comment that it is a panelvan with
>  windows/seat belt anchors is indeed correct as that's the way a lot of them
>  came from the factory.But if you optioned it up it's still a Kombi if
>  essentially that's the configuration.I guess the US just didn't get a
>  lot of them like that.It's a different story in the big ol' rest of the
>  world.


Actually Kombi is short for "Kombination"......the Kombi was a van that was
part delivery van and part passenger van. The idea behind the Kombi
(especially in the early 50s) was that the owner could use the van during
the week as a delivery or work van. On the weekend, the owner could put the
seats back in and haul the family around.

Because of this dual role, the level of trim was minimal as compared to the
passenger versions.....plain cardboard or press board interior panels,
rubber floormats, etc. The Kombi still lives on in the T4 generation of the
van. One interesting version is the "double cab" Kombi which is a T4 van
with a full front seat as well as a middle seat. Behind the middle seat is
a fiber glass partition  making the back a true cargo area.


Ric