Iconic VW camper reaches the end of the road

VOLKSWAGEN has finally ended production of its iconic Kombi, which has provided the base for countless campervans.

The last VW Kombi rolled off the production line in Brazil on 20 December, which brought to a close the longest continuous running production life of any vehicle ever in the world.

After 63 years in production, more than 3.5 million Kombis have been built in Germany and Brazil. They have been produced as panel vans, pick-up trucks, crew cabs and, of course, the famous campervan. Many of the vehicle names associated with the Kombi have now become as famous as the van itself and Transporter, Camper, Bus and Type 2 are all instantly recognised by enthusiasts.

Production in Brazil started in 1957 and this is now VW’s largest factory outside of its native Germany. The South American plant has made more than 1.5 million Kombis since then.

However, new safety legislation in South America means all new vehicles must be fitted with ABS anti-lock brakes and driver and passenger airbags as standard. It is too expensive to re-engineer the Kombi to include these features, so it has reached the end of the road.

By Press Association reporters