History of minibuses: from a unique vehicle to everyday transportation

Buses in the classic sense were first produced in the United States – back in the 1920s. Microbuses appeared much later, so they are considered to be “younger brothers”.

Initially, the main requirement for any transportation, was maximum capacity.

That’s why buses of those years were characterized by large dimensions, double-decker construction and other tricks to accommodate the largest number of people.

However, time passed and the needs of society changed. When the flow of cars on the roads increased noticeably, the public thought about protecting the environment. At the same time, the new transport was to be more maneuverable and faster moving. To meet this challenge, automakers had to find a compromise between the traditional bus and passenger cars. In the 1920s, Ford produced a version that seated up to 12 people.

Bus in miniature – how was it created?
History proves that brilliant ideas often come quite by accident. In this invention, the will of chance also played a large part. While staying at the Wolfsburg plant, Dutch VW importer Ben Pon noticed an unusual fixture. In front of him was a flatbed truck that workers used to transport parts. The exclusivity of the “cart” was that it was based on a decommissioned Volkswagen Beetle.

By removing the top and disassembling the interior, workers made for a comfortable cargo platform. Such a simple design idea, prompted the entrepreneur to the idea of developing the first cargo-passenger minivan. The project was called Bulli or T1, and was successfully realized by Volkswagen in 1949.

Since then, there have been many highlights in the history of minibuses. Already in the 60’s, the Transporter became a hippie van and quickly became a legend. In it not only drove, but also lived, pre-painted in bright colors.

Nowadays minibuses and cargo vans are produced by almost every major representative of the automotive industry. The most popular cars are traditionally Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Volkswagen, Fiat, Peugeot, Hyundai, Toyota and so on

And how are things today?
It’s hard to imagine, but the first Volkswagen differed from the classic bus only in size. It had a wagon body shape and was virtually hoodless. The driver and front passengers had to sit literally over the tire.

But technological advances have done their work. Over the past half century, minibuses have received a wide variety of performance and equipment options. Today, a minivan is a safe and comfortable vehicle, with smooth lines and comfortable seats.