Spinning the Platters

For what were basically rapidly cobbled-together rough-and-ready vehicles intended to cart parts around the semi-ruined post-war Wolfsburg, Volkswagen’s Plattenwagen has left one hell of a legacy. As makeshift and utterly basic – and probably quite dangerous – as these 1940s’ works runarounds may have been, their load-lugging abilities and versatility were enough to convince one forward-looking Volkswagen fan that, perhaps with a bit of development, they possibly had great potential. Yet Ben Pon, the Dutch businessman who had this thought, could never have conceived that his idea for a more sophisticated Plattenwagen would result in something that would sell millions; the Type 2 Transporter.

“Despite its humdrum workhorse existence, the Plattenwagen earned its place in Volkswagen folklore by giving birth – in a fashion – to the Type 2 Transporter”

Just as ‘Volkswagen’ translates as ‘people’s car’, so ‘Plattenwagen’ equates, more or less, to ‘panel car’ or ‘plate car’. It could be either because, essentially, it fulfilled both those roles; a vehicle