What’s in a name? – Kombi

Everyone loves Kombis. Who couldn’t love this Volkswagen bus that was based on the design of our beloved Beetle, ‘the people’s car’. I have fond memories of my parents’ Kombi from childhood days. And later on in life, my family owned one and we enjoyed many family holidays when the children happily snuggled in the back after a long day on the road.

Initially called the Volkswagon Transporter or VW Type2, the concept was inspired by Dutch VW importer, Ben Pon, in the 1950s. But how did it get the name ‘Kombi’?

Built to carry either passengers or goods, the versatile ‘combination motor vehicle’ or ‘Kombinationskraftwagen’ (in German) was soon given the shortened nickname ‘Kombi’, a friendly name that easily entered our vocabulary and lives.