Volkswagen ends production of its iconic Kombi campervan - Polidicks

[T]http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/5979x4007+1370+564/resize/628x417!/format/jpg/quality/85/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/4cde0719e01a75a75756d45e18d034fe/2013-Volkswagen-Kombi-Last-Edition-000.jpg[/T] [QUOTE]Manufacture of the longest-produced model in the global automotive industry, the Volkswagen Type 2 Microbus, is finally coming to an end in Brazil after 56 years in production, which started in September 1957. The blue VW Kombi Last Edition you see here (click on the image above to enlarge) is one of 600 that will be produced before new safety regulations in the country force Volkswagen to phase it out. Enhancing whatever road trips lie ahead is a specially equipped interior in blue and white vinyl, matching the unique two-tone exterior paint, and a modern MP3 sound system with USB inputs. Now, we love safety as much as the next bunch of auto enthusiasts, but we sure do wish such classically cool icons as this could somehow manage to stand the test of crash barriers as well as they can the test of time. The Last Edition will be sold only in Brazil for 85,000 Brazilian reais ($35,637)[/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/08/18/vw-type-2-microbus-production-ending-with-kombi-last-edition/"]http://www.autoblog.com/2013/08/18/vw-type-2-microbus-production-ending-with-kombi-last-edition/[/URL]

Wow,never would have thought these were still produced!

Wait, they are still making these? Can I import a new one to the US?

And thus ends the era of the Hippyvan. I was actually surprised to find out they still made them when I first heard of this.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;43351724]And thus ends the era of the Hippyvan. I was actually surprised to find out they still made them when I first heard of this.[/QUOTE] A new type of hippie van will rise from its ashes. maybe not

-snep-

Were these available in places like the states or europe? or just southern hemisphere countries.... I swear, they get the neatest shitboxes...

[IMG]http://samplecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2005_VW_Kombi_Silver_Limited_Edition.jpg[/IMG] I can see why they stopped production. A modern vehicle without airbag system is suicidal.

I'm a little uninformed, but can anyone explain to me what the new safety regulations deem unsafe about the combi's that can't simply be amended? Is it some kind of problem with the structural rigidity of the chassis or something like that, that can't be easily sorted? What a sad story, I saw Mike Brewer (Wheeler Dealers) talking about the end of the Combi on his Facebook page too, just makes me sadder. I know how much Edd loves his VW's :(

[QUOTE=Sobek-;43352044]I'm a little uninformed, but can anyone explain to me what the new safety regulations deem unsafe about the combi's that can't simply be amended? Is it some kind of problem with the structural rigidity of the chassis or something like that, that can't be easily sorted? What a sad story, I saw Mike Brewer (Wheeler Dealers) talking about the end of the Combi on his Facebook page too, just makes me sadder. I know how much Edd loves his VW's :([/QUOTE] the whole thing is a unibody, and since the driver sits so close to the window, they couldn't meet safety requirements without massive changes, and why do that when they have its modern brother which does meet the requirements.

[QUOTE=Sobek-;43352044]I'm a little uninformed, but can anyone explain to me what the new safety regulations deem unsafe about the combi's that can't simply be amended? Is it some kind of problem with the structural rigidity of the chassis or something like that, that can't be easily sorted? What a sad story, I saw Mike Brewer (Wheeler Dealers) talking about the end of the Combi on his Facebook page too, just makes me sadder. I know how much Edd loves his VW's :([/QUOTE] There may not be a safe way to put airbags in it.

[QUOTE=lech;43351760]A new type of hippie van will rise from its ashes. maybe not[/QUOTE] Subaru Outback already holds that title I think, all of the ski bums and car campers I know use them that and the good old chevy delivery van

men at work are travelling in a fried-out kombi for the last time

[QUOTE=Fuck_The_Pooch;43352023][IMG]http://samplecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2005_VW_Kombi_Silver_Limited_Edition.jpg[/IMG] I can see why they stopped production. A modern vehicle without airbag system is suicidal.[/QUOTE] The airbag is probably one of your smallest worries in this. The fact that you sit so close to the front of the car (so close that you can see the headlight backside from inside the car) makes it really unsafe at that. No place for any collision zone. I'm sad to see it go, though. They're cool cars and I love classics.

I'd love to know to the nearest gram, just how much weed was smoked in those things.

I think I'm one of the few who dislike the look of them. I'm not sure why, I just think they're ugly

[QUOTE=Bradyns;43352437]I'd love to know to the nearest gram, just how much weed was smoked in those things.[/QUOTE] More grams than graham's number.

[QUOTE=Fuck_The_Pooch;43352023][IMG]http://samplecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2005_VW_Kombi_Silver_Limited_Edition.jpg[/IMG] I can see why they stopped production. A modern vehicle without airbag system is suicidal.[/QUOTE] that's not the biggest problem, i'm pretty sure it's not mandatory for cars over here to have airbags. the biggest problems with the kombi are, as someone already mentioned, how you're pretty fucked in a frontal collision, but also because they actually catch on fire pretty easily (at least some older models do). the engine is in the back, and i don't know if the cooling system is bad but apparently it's pretty common.

the engine is in the back and the gas tank is under the drivers seat, no collision zones and its increadibly top heavy and also the engine did catch fire from time to time but still this newest version is really posh [editline]30th December 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Bradyns;43352437]I'd love to know to the nearest gram, just how much weed was smoked in those things.[/QUOTE] I think you mean metric tonnes

[QUOTE=Fuck_The_Pooch;43352023][IMG]http://samplecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2005_VW_Kombi_Silver_Limited_Edition.jpg[/IMG] I can see why they stopped production. A modern vehicle without airbag system is suicidal.[/QUOTE] Maybe they're just ending this design so that they can toss it back up on the board and go for a re-design?

There used to be a pizza place in my hometown that had one of these. They stripped the engine out along with most of the seats and added a bench in there, so you could eat. rip in peace hippie van, you helped spread love and durgs

Similar situation with the VW Golf MKI. VW South Africa continued producing the MKI as the Citi Golf (aka Chico) as a cheap car, while still selling the current Golf's alongside it, up until mid 2009 [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Citi_Golf[/url]

It's cool that they made them this long but they've sure gotten ugly over the years. The first gen will always be my favorite. [thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Samba%281%29.jpg[/thumb] [I]As pictured above, the beautiful Volkswagen Samba, produced from 1950-1967[/I]

Fun fact, the reason there were only a few model years available in the US is because of a little known tax called the "Chicken Tax." Originally, the bill was designed to get back at France and West Germany for being worried about the health effects of dumping hormones in US chickens that were flooding their import markets. A legislative relic from the Cold War, the 'light truck' portion of this tax is still in effect, preventing not only VW Vans from 1963 on, but also currently, Toyota from selling the Hilux in the US. Instead, Toyota builds the Tundra and Tacoma in the US. In addition, the tax affected Ford, one of the manufacturers the bill was designed to protect in a hilarious consequence of throwing money at Senators and then outsourcing. See also: corrupting influence of money in politics, corporate campaign contributions, corporate lobbying, general corporate self-interest fucktardery. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax[/url]

The kombi van was also used in a couple of episode on lost as DHARMA van, it's so awesome [url]http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/DHARMA_vans[/url] [img]http://www.1001moteurs.com/wp-content/uploads/Volkswagen-Combi-Van-Lost-projet-dharma.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Fuck_The_Pooch;43352023][IMG]http://samplecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2005_VW_Kombi_Silver_Limited_Edition.jpg[/IMG][/quote] Ahh, such a nice, clean, uncluttered interior. Nothing in there that isn't necessary to make it go. I love it. Could use a better gauge layout though. I only see three gauges, so unless two of them are multifunction it's missing vital information that every dashboard should have. [quote] I can see why they stopped production. A modern vehicle without airbag system is suicidal.[/QUOTE] And yet some people prefer it that way. Like myself. I'd dearly love to be able to tick a box on a new car marked "Delete airbags". Fuckers total the car out more often than they actually save a life. In some cars they're so triggerhappy that bumping a shopping cart at 10-15MPH will pop the bags. [editline]30th December 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Sobek-;43352044]I'm a little uninformed, but can anyone explain to me what the new safety regulations deem unsafe about the combi's that can't simply be amended? [/QUOTE] All the modern engineering in the world cannot do anything about the fact that, in a Kombi, you are literally six inches from whatever you're crashing into when contact is made.

...People. You can still buy an old VW bus. This is not the end of the hippie van era. People will keep these things alive for a loooooong time.

[QUOTE=Jackpody;43352385]The airbag is probably one of your smallest worries in this. The fact that you sit so close to the front of the car (so close that you can see the headlight backside from inside the car) makes it really unsafe at that. No place for any collision zone. I'm sad to see it go, though. They're cool cars and I love classics.[/QUOTE] of course there's a collision zone! as the drivier, YOU are the crumple zone!