60-Year Old Tradesman Required By Volkswagen To Help Celebrate Transporter’s 60th!
As (if you’re a VW fan) you will already know, this year marks the 60th birthday of the iconic Volkswagen Transporter. To share the anniversary celebrations, Volkswagen has launched a search for the nation’s hardest-working 60-year-old tradesman.
Since the Volkswagen Transporter was first introduced in the UK March 1950, the vehicle has undergone five generations of body-style and more than 10 million have been produced, making it one of the most popular vans on the country’s roads.
To mark the Transporter’s 60th anniversary, Volkswagen is searching for tradesmen with the same staying-power as the Transporter.
Click below for more about the Transporter and how you can join in (if you’re a 60-year-old tradesman)…
Speaking to Tachoblog, Simon Elliott, director of Commercial Vehicles said, “1950 marked an important era for the automotive world and the Volkswagen Transporter has become one of the most iconic vans on the road today. We are looking for local tradesman who can boast the same – they’re hard-working, enduring, they’ve evolved through the decades to become better at what they do and, above all, they’re 60 this year.
“We know there are lots of tradesmen of that age in the UK and we want to recognise them. We’re asking anyone eligible to contact us and tell us what they do, how long they’ve been doing it and why they believe they’re the hardest working tradesman in the area.
“We’ll pick a winner and they can share in the Transporter’s 60th birthday celebrations, complete with a cake!” added Simon.
The first generation of the Transporter, known as a split screen or camper van, was an instant success amongst Britain’s motorists. Since then, the Transporter has been through various stages of development; seeing a diesel engine introduced in 1980, and a four-wheel-drive version in 1985. Later models have received a host of awards including the Van of the Year accolade by What Van? in 2004.
The latest Transporter model, T-5, arrived on forecourts earlier this year, offering lower CO2 emissions, improved torque and a wide range of standard safety and optional features, including industry-leading Lane Change Assist.
However the design has evolved over the years, the first and the latest Transporter share the same badge on the front and the same design principles – a generous load-space and an enviable reputation for quality and durability.
Anyone wanting to nominate a candidate can do so by contacting transporter60@connect-group.com or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/volkswagen-cv by August 27th 2010.
Having owned every type of rear engined VW van from a split screen ’67 Transporter through to an ’83 water cooled version and putting over 250,000 miles on most of them in the process, I reckon they are a great van.
My ex,(wife as she was then), had a bad accident in one and if it had not been for the double skin side, could have been badly injured, so there is strengh there as well.
Never owned one of the front engined ones but my girlfriend and I plan to marry next year, she has a Vauxhall Zafira, nice enough to drive but we plan to sell that and my VW and buy a two or three year old Transporter and convert it to being mainly van but with a few camper bits added to make it as we want it for us and her dog.
I am looking foward to owning a Transporter again.
Trevor,
Thanks for the comment. Tachoblog is a BIG Volkswagen Camper fan so we’re very, very jealous that you’ve owned a Split Screen!
Hi again,
Just a small aside here, on friday July 16 I saw a pair of VW split screen slippers in a shop window, so I stopped by and bought them for the girlfriend, I am going to marry her next year, so you have to start the way you mean to go on!!!.
I love, love LOVE campers. Can’t wait to see who they pick as the winner
I always love VW. Be it a camper or a beetle i’ve always been a fan. This old campers brought back my childhood memories. Looking at it is a trip to memory lane.
Heather C.