The legendary Volkswagen multivan Kombi–Volkswagen’s first, most famous, and most beloved van — will be launched in the Philippines in the third quarter of the year, said Volkswagen Philippines in a statement over the weekend
The updated icon, known to its fans as the Microbus, Transporter, or the “hippie van”–commemorated its 70th birthday in 2020.
Next to the Beetle, the Kombi defined what Volkswagen was to an adoring motoring public.
From its conception in 1949 by Dutch businessman Ben Pon, to its subsequent iterations across the global markets for several generations, the Kombi has become the world’s all-time best-selling multivan, topping the 13-million-unit sales mark by May 2020.
The Kombi was likewise a popular fixture of Philippine streets starting in the late 1950s and peaked in popularity in 1970 when it contributed to a total of 6,100 Volkswagens that were sold on that year alone, hoisting the German marque up to become the number one seller in the Philippine automobile market.
Just like its stature in the Western world, the Kombi in the Philippines boasted wide-ranging use by families and businesses, and figured prominently in local pop culture, becoming the iconic van of the ‘60s and ‘70s “flower power” era. The Kombi won the motoring public over with a one-of-a-kind design: The low, flat floor and a spacious interior that could squeeze in groups of 8 or more–the kind of design that lent itself to any purpose and passion.
