Historia De La VW T1 Split

Los orígenes del Tipo 2 se le atribuyen a Ben Pon, el importador de VW holandés, que en 1946 visitó la fábrica de Wolfsburg con la idea de importar Escarabajos (o KDF Wagens, como se conocían entonces) a los Países Bajos. Sin embargo, en su viaje vio algo que le interesó todavía más.

Ben vio un vehículo que había sido adaptado para transportar piezas a partir del bastidor de un Escarabajo, pero, a diferencia del Escarabajo, el conductor y los controles se situaban encima del motor, y enfrente de éste se situaba una plataforma de carga. Pon hizo un esbozo rápido de este vehículo, que se conocía como Plattenwagen, y regresó a Holanda. Ben Pon volvió a Wolfsburg en 1947 con esquemas más desarrollados de su nuevo concepto y también con los criterios que el nuevo vehículo debería cumplir. Concretamente, el vehículo tenía que ser capaz de transportar 1,500 kg, y el conductor y los controles debían situarse en la parte delantera.

El proyecto del nuevo vehículo comenzó en 1948 y el primer prototipo estuvo listo en sólo tres meses. Las primeras pruebas revelaron que el bastidor modificado del Escarabajo no iba a ser suficiente para este nuevo vehículo por lo que se decidió usar un bastidor de estructura de escalera con una carrocería independiente.

Cuesta pensar, mirando a una T1 a simple vista, que el estudio de la aerodinámica fue parte del proceso de diseño, sin embargo, si se hicieron cambios para mejorarla. Los coeficientes de resistencia de los primeros prototipos eran de 0.75 por lo que utilizó el túnel de viento de la Universidad Técnica de Brunswick para perfeccionar la forma y mejorar la aerodinámica. Tras estas pruebas, se introdujo la forma de V en el panel frontal y el parabrisas que redujo el coeficiente a 0,48. Heinz Nordhoff aprobó la producción del nuevo vehículo en 1949, y el primer modelo salió de la línea de producción en noviembre de 1949. En 1949 se fabricaron un total de 8 vehículos: 6 Panel Van, 1 Kombi y 1 Microbus. A finales de 1959, la producción se situaba ya por encima de las 8.000 unidades, llegando hasta casi las 50.000 en el último año de la producción de la Barndoor.

made in 1949, with the split being; 6 panels, 1 Kombi and 1 Microbus. By the end of 1950 production was over 8000 units, rising to nearly 50,000 for the last year of Barndoor production.

LOS MODELOS “BARNDOOR”

El término Barndoor se aplica a las furgonetas fabricadas entre 1949 y marzo de 1955 y se cree que fue acuñado por Jeff Walters en la década de 1980. A simple vista, las barndoor pueden parecerse a los modelos más recientes de VW T1, pero, si nos fijamos, hay bastantes diferencias.

The Barndoor bus has no “peak” above the windscreen, no tailgate, a small rear windscreen, a much larger engine lid (this is what the “Barndoor” refers to, not as many believe the side cargo doors) with the petrol tank sat in the engine compartment, to the right of the engine, and the spare wheel mounted on the left hand side. Barndoor pickups and ambulances are slightly different in this respect as ambulances feature a rear hatch (see ambulance section) and pickups have a smaller engine cover, however both of these models use a cut down version of the original engine cover. Whilst there are a lot of Barndoor parts that will fit a later split, and vice versa there are quite a few parts that are specific to the Barndoor; pedal box, reduction boxes, 3-post badge, spare tyre rack, front windscreens, seats, roof, dashboard and instruments, engine lid, rear apron, front suspension and steering.

Barndoor buses also came with a 16” road wheel, not the 15” or 14” that later buses came with. The Commercial was the most basic of the buses offered by VW, a simple panel van, with no tailgate, no side windows and two opening cargo doors on the respective passenger side. Panels were also used as a basis for some of the camper conversions such as the EZ Camper and the Sundial. The Kombi was the next level up, still basic, with no headliner, carpet and very sparse door panels, and featured 3 side windows on each side of the cargo area, and two rows of seats, in the middle and rear, these were easily removed by one person. Kombis were also used by the camper converters.

The Standard was based on the Kombi and was considered the entry-level passenger vehicle, slightly better levels of interior trim than the Kombi. Standards were usually finished in a two tone paint scheme.

The Deluxe was the premium model in the range, the exterior was fitted with polished aluminium trim on the beltline, and 4 more windows had been added. 2 on each side, and 2 wraparound windows which spanned the gap between the tailgate and the side glass on models up until 1963, these Deluxes were known as 15 windows, the later models with a larger tailgate and no corner glass were known as 13 windows.

It was possible to order both the 15, and 13 window Deluxes with Skylight windows, (AKA Samba’s) bringing the totals up to 23 and 21 windows respectively. Samba’s also came with a full length canvas sun-roof, though could be spec’d from the factory without. Early 15’s and 23’s featured corner windows and skylights made of Plexiglas, though from 1954 the Skylights were replaced with glass, and in 1955 the corner windows were also replaced with glass.

The Single Cab Pick-up was first produced in August 1952, the fuel tank had been moved to just in front of the rear axle, the engine cooling vents had been lowered to further down the side panel, to make room for the drop-sides. Access doors for the “Treasure Chest” toolbox under the bed were available as an option along with a canvas tilt kit. Up until late 1953, the drop-sides were smooth with no pressings. The early double cab pick-ups (1953-58) were actually converted single cabs converted for VW by a company called Binz, these early double cabs are easily identified by the “suicide” rear door. Up until 1960 all double cab drop-sides had a seam in the middle of the side as they were in-fact shortened single-cab versions, rather than their own specific pressing.

The ambulance tailgate was bottom hinged and strengthened allowing stretchers to be slid in from the back. Ambulance models also featured a glass and metal divider between the cab and the cargo area, 1951-55 Ambulances featured a fresh air scoop mounted above the windscreen, with two fans mounted in it.

Other features unique to ambulance models were; jump seats, grab rails on the ceiling, cargo area to cab buzzer, frosted side glass windows, additional sound deadening, additional shelving and cabinets, stretcher tables. Ambulance models also had the option to specify which side you wanted the cargo doors on.

Barndoor ambulances also have the fuel tank moved to in front of the gearbox/axle assembly and the spare wheel moved to between the cab and cargo area, 2 features which became standard on later Split buses.

By 1954 production at the Wolfsburg factory was at its maximum, and VW needed a new factory to produce the Type2. VW moved fast and by early March 1955 the first bus rolled off the production line at VW’s new factory in Hannover. Just over a year later production of Type 2’s finished at Wolfsburg, and Type 2 production continued solely at Hannover. This move lead to some unique features of buses made during the period of the Wolfsburg to Hannover handover, specific to buses over the 1955-56 model years. Examples include; the fuel flap seal, fresh air vent, speedometer, cargo floor, rear transmission tunnel, front seat springs, 3 piece dog legs, Bakelite interior light, deck-lid bracing, and a rear hatch that only could be propped in one position.

Early Type 2’s were powered by the 1131cc air cooled; flat 4 engine, mounted on a transaxle transmission. With the engine producing a heady 25hp, performance wasn’t what you’d call blistering, but the van was capable enough. VW used an ingenious method of reduction boxes on the bus to make the most out of the limited power available, these reduction boxes came on all Split screens; they effectively operated as another gearbox, and provided more torque at the expense of higher engine revs, and a slower top speed.