Point of interest
Volkswagen T1 pickup
A working Transporter and the story of a Californian purchase.
Content language
The pickup known in Poland as a Bulik was among the cars the Sucheckis bought in San Diego in 2008. Its purchase did not lead directly to shipment to Poland: it was left with a dealer as part of a planned exchange. The owners returned to California the following year and recovered it.
The pickup is a working version of the first Transporter, now designated T1. Behind the cab it has a load bed rather than an enclosed passenger compartment. This layout was intended for carrying goods instead of providing extra rows of seats.
Volkswagen introduced the pickup version in 1952. The first Transporter generation used an engine and gearbox derived from the Beetle. The commercial vehicle and passenger car thus shared technical roots despite their different sizes and tasks.
A distinctive T1 feature is its split windscreen. The later T2 generation replaced it with a single-piece windscreen. This is one of the clearest details for distinguishing an older T1 from later Transporters when looking at the collection.
For children
A pickup has a cab and a bed for carrying loads. This vehicle is connected with the Sucheckis’ purchases in San Diego in 2008. They left it with a dealer while planning an exchange. A year later they returned and recovered it.
The first Transporter generation is called T1. Its pickup version was introduced in 1952. It used an engine and gearbox related to those of the Beetle. At the front of a T1 is a windscreen divided into two parts. The next generation received one wide windscreen instead.
Question 1 of 2