{"product_id":"story-of-the-vw-transporter-splitscreen-models-19491967-9781906133993","title":"Story of the VW Transporter Split-Screen Models  1949-1967","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom a simple sketch of a box-shaped delivery vehicle to one of the most recognisable silhouettes in motoring  the first-generation VW Transporter formed the genesis of what was to become the best-selling van in history. Unveiled in November 1949  the quirky VW Transporter would soon find demand for its services throughout the world  thanks to its cab-forward layout  ingenuity and adaptability. The initial Panel Van gave rise to a flexible Pick-up  revolutionary Kombi  adventurous camper and and an endless catalogue of inspired conversions and variations. There were ambulances  mobile shops  school buses  fire tenders  high-roofed vans  double-cab pick-ups  police vans  mobile milking machines  and so many more. As Volkswagen survived Second World War turmoil and thrived under the firm focus of director general Heinz Nordhoff  this book charts the progress of the innovative Transporter as its initial weaknesses were improved and eventually perfected to exploit the Beetle-based rear-engined layout. Much like the Beetle  the Transporter gained a cult following around the globe  with its attributes as a commercial vehicle equalled by its status as a hippie bus and stalwart of the surfing community. There was barely a nation on Earth where the Transporter hadnt become engrained in its culture or everyday life. VW replaced the German-built first Transporter with a second-generation machine in 1967  but manufacturing continued in Brazil until 1975  where the rear-engined platform itself remained in production until 2013. Its no wonder  then  that the first-generation Transporter is so well-loved today  and why its incredible story can be told here in such beautifully-presented and expertly-researched detail. From the first drawings and prototypes of the late-1940s to the final split-screen Transporters of 1967 and South American derivatives of the 1970s  Volkswagen author Richard Copping guides us through an unmissable volume where each model  all variants and every option of the first-generation Transporter is lavishly accompanied by sumptuous period photography and stunning brochure illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45646895775797,"sku":"ByrdShop_1906133999","price":48.57,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781906133993.jpg?v=1781680605","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/story-of-the-vw-transporter-splitscreen-models-19491967-9781906133993","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}