Date:         Tue, 6 Jan 2004 11:20:19 -0000
Reply-To:     Tony Polson <tp@WHSMITHNET.CO.UK>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tony Polson <tp@WHSMITHNET.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: No more South African Vanagons :-(
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Jaap Nauta wrote:
>
> This morning I had a look at the VW site in South Africa:
they stopped making the the vanagon; the last one recently
left the factory. See http://www.vw.co.za/models/bus/
>
> Maybe soon in Mexico or Brasil. They are still making the
previous model bus (called nova Kombi). Take a look at
http://www.vw.com.br/automoveis/kombi


Hi Jaap,

Yes, VW of Brasil still make the Kombi (T2), however 2004 is
planned to be the last year of production and the Vanagon
will not be the replacement model; it will be the Eurovan
(T4).

The T5 is now in full production in Europe.  I find it ugly;
in my opinion the T5 makes the T4 (Eurovan) look elegant,
but no doubt it is a very good commercial van.

For those who are confused by the T numbers, they are given
by the Germans to the various versions of the Type 2
(Transporter family);

Type 1 = Beetle (Bug)
Type 2 = Transporter family
Type 3 = 1600 sedan, fastback and squareback (Variant)
Type 4 = 411, 412 with 1.7 and 1.8 luftboxers

Within the Type 2 Transporter family are the five versions
to date:

Type 2 T1 = split screen van, Samba etc. (to 1967 in Europe)
Type 2 T2 = Bay window van (1968-1980 in Europe)
Type 2 T3 = Vanagon (1979-1992 in Europe)
Type 2 T4 = Eurovan (1991-2003 in Europe)
Type 2 T5 = "No name yet!" (2004 onwards)

Tony