Volkswagen celebrates Kombi’s 70th in most half-hearted fashion ever
Wow guys, not even half a chocolate gateau from The Cheesecake Shop and some party balloons?
Volkswagen has chosen to mark the 70th anniversary of its iconic box-on-wheels, the Kombi, with . . . a celebratory paint scheme on the current Volkswagen Multivan.
Rebadged the Kombi 70 for the occasion, the special edition Multivan people-mover features a two-tone colour scheme designed to mimic the classic Type 2 Kombi look. While the cab-over style has long gone, the exterior hues pay tribute to the original van’s silhouette, bisecting the body like it’s still an oblong with a wheel at each corner. Only 20 examples of the Kombi 70 are available in New Zealand, although we’re unsure if customers will get to choose between the handful of colourways available in overseas markets.
Aside from the celebratory paint, the Kombi 70 also features wood-look flooring and 18” disc alloys, designed to look a bit like the original Kombi’s deep-dish hubcaps.
But that’s it. No other styling nod would probably have been cost-effective or Ancap safety approved, so you can see why the manufacturer has stuck to cosmetics . . . But still, what about a side barn door option? A split front windscreen? An exhaust synthesiser to give the engine that familiar half-rattle, half-growl of a flat four? A dripping oil dispenser under the rear axle to replicate the feeling of despair as you take a rag and some mineral turpentine to your once-pristine concrete parking pad? Ah, the memories.
Happy birthday Kombi; we’re sorry your parent manufacturer couldn’t be bothered celebrating with more enthusiasm.