Description
VW Transporter T3 (Type 2) Hardcover book (fragment of text)
By the end of the 1970s, Volkswagen had made major strides in the minibus and light delivery van segment with the Transporter T1 and T2. In three decades, these good-looking and easy-to-use cars found more than 5.5 million fans around the world.
They were used to transport passengers and various cargo, for traveling and family vacations, and they served in police and ambulance services. A wide range of modifications allowed Volkswagen nproducts to gain a strong foothold not only in the domestic market, but also far beyond the borders of its native Germany.
To keep its position and resist competitors, VW announced the next generation of the family in 1979, the T3. Conceptually, the new car continued to develop the ideas laid out in the first two generations, but at the same time, it used a modern design and technology. Engineers paid a lot of attention to improving the active and passive safety.
And the extended body offered more passenger and cargo space for the same length and height. This was aided by the opposed engine at the rear of the car. According to the creators, the new car now had as good handling as a normal passenger car. Throughout its assembly line life, the T3 family of vans and minibuses was continually modernized to keep up with the times and customers’ growing demands.
For example, the model debuted water-cooled gasoline engines in 1983, and they were equipped with catalytic converters and an injection system to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Considering numerous customer requests, a diesel engine was developed for the T3, and then a turbocharged version was prepared. But the special pride of T3 designers was the all-wheel drive version Syncro.
Thanks to its ideal use of space, the T3 became an even more practical basis for building motorhomes than its predecessors. Numerous specialized companies offered T3-based campers for every taste and purse. In 1988, Volkswagen introduced the first camper of its own design, the California. By the time the last T3 rolled off the assembly line at the Hanover plant, Volkswagen had sold about 1.3 million T3 minibuses and vans.
Its success was promoted by the appearance of the comfortable passenger modifications Caravelle and Multivan, which quickly became bestsellers in their class. Production of the right-hand drive T3 continued in South Africa until 2002. This brought the total number of T3s produced to over 1.4 million. With the discontinuation of the third generation of the Transporter family, Volkswagen’s half-century history of rear-engined commercial vehicles came to an end.
The new Transporter had an opposed gasoline engine, but using a crankshaft-mounted cooling air supercharger minimized the space taken up by the engine. Compared to the T2, the engine compartment cover was 165 mm lower. The base version was equipped with a 1.6-liter 50-hp engine, and the 2-liter version had 70 “horses” in its arsenal.
Later, the engine lineup would include a water-cooled opposed engine specially developed for the T3, as well as a diesel engine in atmospheric and turbocharged versions. The most powerful T3 family VW Transporter was the 2.1-liter 112 hp gasoline engine that debuted in 1985. It allowed the minibus to accelerate up to 150 km/h. In the mid-1980s, a unique Syncro version with all-wheel drive would be added to the front-wheel drive models.
Despite its high payload, the new VW Transporter did not differ from an ordinary passenger car in terms of driving characteristics. This was achieved thanks to an improved chassis design and independent spring suspension on all wheels. The rack and pinion steering provided the T3 with high maneuverability and a turning radius of only 10.7 meters. Driving stability was better due to a lower center of gravity and ideal 50/50 weight distribution between the axles regardless of load.
Read the continuation of VW Transporter T3 (Type 2) story in the book.
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