(Mon 15 Mar 10)

Volkswagen is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Volkswagen Transporter, which first went into production back in March 1950.

Like several other vehicles designed entirely for utilitarian purposes, the Transporter has inspired so much affection over the years that it has almost achieved the status of a cult car, not least because of hippy associations which were created in the 1960s.

The original Transporter, which went on sale in the UK in 1955, was what might now be considered an MPV version of the Volkswagen Beetle (unquestionably a cult car itself). When it arrived, Volkswagen had only just returned to being a German company, having been rebuilt after World War II under the leadership of British army officer Major Ivan Hirst.

The first model had a 1.1-litre engine producing a maximum of 25bhp, well below the 178bhp which is available in the most powerful example in the current range. The basic platform wasn't replaced until 1980, though the original one continues to be the basis of Transporters sold in Brazil.

Comment on this story on Facebook or Twitter.

Volkswagen Gallery
Volkswagen Road Tests