THE SECRET HISTORY OF
SHAPED LIKE A LOAF OF BREAD, the VW campervan or Kombi is built for practicality not speed, and its rise to stardom was likewise slow. The Volkswagen factory in Germany, a showpiece project of the Nazi regime, was destroyed in WWII. It was being rebuilt under the supervision of the British Army when Dutch car importer Ben Pon paid a visit. He had a flash of design inspiration from a flatbed utility vehicle in the factory, and sketched out a curved box on top to create a van that would hold a lot for its size.
PHOTOGRAPHS: NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM/AGE FOTOSTOCK, ANTONIO GUILLEM FERNANDEZ/ALAMY. OPPOSITE PAGE : SUWANDI CHANDRA