Final farewell tribute video released to mark end of era
Volkswagen has put together a four-minute documentary to honour the end of production of the legendary Kombi campervan
Volkswagen has released a YouTube video to commemorate the end of production of their beloved Kombi camper van.
The company chose an appropriately tear-jerker style title, “Kombi Last Wishes”, for the documentary which celebrates the van’s 64 years in production.
The documentary is just over four minutes long, but took six months to make. It is beautifully crafted, with the ‘voice’ of the Kombi narrating its own history.
(It is a bit unclear why a van created by a Dutchman and manufactured in Brazil sounds like Vanessa Redgrave, but it’s very touching, so we won’t question it too much.)
A wide spectrum of Kombi fans are shown in the video, including a man moved to tears by the gift of Kombi shaped ravioli cutters.
The video captures just how many lives the van has been a part of, and the different things it has meant to them.
We see a Kombi being used as a hippie van, a family camper, and a food truck, to mention just a few of its incarnations.
News was originally released two years ago about the end of production, but it appears that this is officially the Kombi’s last hurrah, with production having ceased at the Brazilian plant in September 2013.
The reason given for the demise of this symbol of the free-spirit is the new safety regulations being introduced in Brazil.
All vehicles produced in the country must now come with ABS and airbags for the passenger and driver’s sides. Rather than subject the Kombi to a drastic re-design, it was decided to retire the old girl gracefully.
It is estimated that the Type 2 had a 3.9 million unit production run, a figure that commands a great deal of respect.
The Kombi – gone, but not forgotten. To watch the video, click below:
