On the heels of the success of the Type 1 passenger car, Volkswagen rolled out the Type 2 in 1950. Also known as Transporter, it came in various forms and shapes, specifically a passenger van, cargo van, and pickup. They all used a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine just like the Beetle (aka Type 1). The seller has a 1959 well-used pickup that was in service to a European car repair shop back in the day. After its work was done, it was cut up into pieces but then put back together in the form you see it today. Located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, this interesting resurrection is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $15,000. An attaboy goes out to Barn Finder Chuck Foster for this cool tip!
The Transporter is still in production today, more than 75 years after its debut. It’s much more functional now with plenty of creature comforts. But in the 1950s, this means of transportation was pretty basic. As the story goes, this pickup was in the service of Hans Foreign Motor Co. out of Kankakee, Illinois. You can still read the company’s name in the faded paint on this rusty project and appears to be nearly in running condition. Years after it was no longer employed, the shop cut it up for scrap metal and it laid around until the seller put Humpty Dumpty together again.
Some mechanical work has been done, such as redoing the brakes, suspension components, tires, a new wiring harness, and more. But that may have been at least three years ago as the clutch is having problems, and it hasn’t been driven lately. As you can see in the photos, the body still needs loads of work unless you want to tool around in it as-is, when the clutch is fixed.
Seeing the truck will take some coordination as the seller is in Oregon and the VW is in New Jersey. So only the most serious would-be buyers are encouraged to make contact. Since VW vans were the primary means of getting around for many hippies back in the 1960s, we don’t know if the seller is seen in one of the pics!
Would surly get a long look at the welding that got this one back to one piece. Have done this kind of work on a few cars and done right it saves perfectly good cars. Picture shows a race car we replaced the front half of and it’s still running today.
Never saw one as a kid in Beer City, a van was rare enough. It wasn’t until a trip overseas in the 60s, we made a brief stop in Zurich, and these were lined up as far as you could see. We laughed,,where’s the rest of it? Not so funny in Europe where these dominated the delivery business. The fold down sides enabled some heavy loads, I bet. I’m sorry, I just don’t see the value here.
Bus Howard bus..
Bus, van, what’s the difference?
Make some local company a great rolling billboard!
I am lucky to have a 66 split single cab that I found in the field owned by a VW fixer upper.Mine was in decent shape and much better now.
My plan was to enjoy it for a few months and double my money..that was about 10 years ago. It is so useful, fun and quite speedy ( It has “Speedwell” logos on the doors)..that I cant part with it.
And boy does it get photgraphed a lot when I park it on Sonoma Plaza.These are just great, fun, simple trucks we will never see the like of again. Good luck..get it running right and enjoy it..and let others enjoy seeing it too..
I’d love to get my Hans on this.
Groan 🙄 (good one)
The “success” of the VW Type I in ‘49 amounted to 2 (two) cars. 1950 saw 330 sold. Not really a rousing success in my book.
I thought these were neat when they 1st started imports as the sides flipped dwn for the forks to deliver right in. One thing we did 4 the merican p/u was 2 step: lift pallets, then chains for p/u bed delivery. These were a lill quicker as the tailgait delivery was more difficult/time consuming for the fork driver. Being lower on the food chain they’d use us to labor the pallet in w/the chain tech.
I thought these were neat when they 1st started imports as the sides flipped dwn for the forks to deliver right in. One thing we did 4 the merican p/u was 2 step: lift pallets, then chains for p/u bed delivery. These were a lill quicker as the tailgait delivery was more difficult/time consuming for the fork driver. Being lower on the food chain they’d use us to labor the pallet in w/the chain tech.
U can also geta ‘oversized load’ on too. Thing is… they are not built fora lota weight (or hi speed open rd). They ARE built for city livery. Superb @ application. Dont 4get: (expanded definition of “an a$$ for every seat”) there may B built a specific vehicle for whatever ur application is (100 yrs of international design). U must choose well~
I knew of one that was converted into a race car hauler in the early 70’s. Side fold down panels removed, and simple ramps from the bed floor to a support bar just behind the rear window with a winch. Also had another set of removable ramps to load the car from street level. The race car was an oval window beetle drag car. It was such a cool looking combination!
I’d love to see that!
It was super cool and simple. Both the transporter and race car were orange, hard to miss!
Bet that was a slow ride to and from the track,,,,I remember a local MG/Triumph dealer in Milwaukee in the 70s, Louis Motors, had a van,,oops, I mean a panel bus(?) that was used for parts, but never pulled anything.
It wasn’t fast, but the racecar only weighed 1300 lbs or so… glass fenders and trunk lid, gutted interior, plexi windows, etc. Good thing there was little elevation change between home and Great Lakes Dragaway!
looks to be still 36 h.p. no vac advance…sold 58 panel van , to singin group @ lubbock, tx..1970??
I believe the Porsche factory had one with an extended bed that they carried a 550 Spyder on. I have seen pix of a replica setup with a real 550!! Btw my single cab has a 1600 dual port which may have a big bore kit, the seller did not know, twin carbs an an Empi exhaust. It accelerates quite briskly and cruises at 65. Next up will be a freeway flyer tranny.Without a load these are pretty light