History of the campervan

The iconic campervan which holds much heritage throughout the world dates back as far as the 2nd World War. Despite the campervan being produced by Volkswagen, a German company, the campervan arrived when the British took control of a Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg located within Germany. The original concept of the campervan arrived when the also iconic Volkswagen car, the Beetle, was stripped down and turned into transporters to help move parts around the large factory. People thought this was a good idea and also a good vehicle, due to this; it was launched two years later at the Geneva motor show. The reason for the popularity of this vehicle was that it presented a modern alternative to the old ox and cart. Not just this but the vehicle also provided many advantages over the tired and old method of transportation.
From the first production which was presented at the motor show, the campervan was produced in ninety different shapes and for different purposes, it was revolutionary product. The van was now being used for ice cream vans, delivery vans, milk floats, florists transport, beer wagons, veterinary surgeons, mobile grocers and butchers shops. The Volkswagen van had not only changed the motor vehicle industry but had also helped create new markets in which businesses were able to expand and change the buying habits of consumers through new extended choices.
Not only did business tap into the extended possibilities of the Volkswagen van, public services such as the police, ambulance and fire crews saw the durability of the vans and also bought into them. Before long, all public services were changing their original vehicles to the new Volkswagen campervan.
The biggest amount of sales recorded for campervans was within America, who sold vast amounts, especially due to the love for big vehicles within America. By the year 1967 there had been 150,000 Volkswagen vehicles sold throughout America, smashing the record for the quickest selling vehicle. The original vehicles did not have rear windows they had panels instead, the new model was replaced with windows and also boasted a top speed of eighty miles per hour. These new windows were the turning point for VW which saw a massive increase in sales all over the world, the popularity for this vehicle was indescribable. The popularity was so high that by 1975 the firm had sold over 4 million of the campervan. The campervan had also become the core product of the firm.
New ranges of the vehicle continued to be released with continuous improvements and also the development of new engines being offered, ranging from 1600 to 2000. Volkswagen even began a marketing campaign which saw gold watches being handed out to anybody who passed the 100,000 miles mark within their campervan. Over 160,000 of these watches were handed out whilst this campaign was running. The campervan is still iconic today with the original models which are in good condition being sought after and also selling for higher prices than they were originally sold for.