VW Kombi Van by Kaye Menner
by Kaye Menner
Title
VW Kombi Van by Kaye Menner
Artist
Kaye Menner
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Photograph captured by me around 2020 at a large Sydney camping and caravan show in Sydney. Van circa 1964.
The Volkswagen Type 2, known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, or, informally, as the Bus (US), Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), is a forward control light commercial vehicle introduced in 1950 by the German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model. Following – and initially deriving from – Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 (Beetle), it was given the factory designation Type 2.
When the anti-establishment counterculture movement kicked off in the 1960s, the Kombi found yet another niche.
The spacious, and relatively easy-to-maintain vans quickly became popular within bohemian culture, so much so that Kombis developed the enduring ‘hippy bus’ or ‘hippy van’ nicknames. The humble Kombi would ultimately become an icon synonymous with the ‘peace and love’ movement.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Kombis were often decked out in custom paint jobs to reflect the free-spirited vision of the flower-powered lifestyle.
The vans also started appearing in pop culture around this time. The Kombi has been referenced directly or indirectly in a number of songs throughout history – notably Magic Bus by The Who, The Angel by Bruce Springsteen and Down Under by Men at Work – as well as appearing on Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead album covers.
Their distinctive style has also gifted Kombis a number of cameos in films such as Alice’s Restaurant, Back to the Future, Little Miss Sunshine and Pixar’s Cars (where an anthropomorphic Kombi appropriately portrays a hippy character).
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September 6th, 2023
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