Volkswagen camper van

Favourite means of transport for the hippy movement

On 23 April 1947, Dutch businessman Ben Pon visited the Volkswagen plant in the German city of Wolfsburg. He wanted to import the Beetle to the Netherlands, but was also looking for a van.

In a sketchbook he drew a minibus, the ‘Type 2’. The model went into production in 1950 and became a worldwide success. By the mid-Sixties, the T2 camper van was the hippy movement’s favourite means of transport. In June 1970, more than 100,000 hippies travelled to the Kralingse Bos park in Rotterdam for a three-day festival. Their camper vans were painted with flowers and bright colours. On some, the VW logo was replaced by the peace sign.