Bye Bye Bulli

The VW bus is saying goodbye. On December 20, VW do Brasil put a halt to the production of the legendary T2 vehicle, known originally in Germany as the "Westfalia." It's the end of an era that began in 1957, when assembly equipment was first installed in São Paulo. Today, the "Kombi Last Edition" is the vehicle's wistful finale.

In September 1957, Volkswagen opened its first factory outside Germany. The new production line was in São Paulo, Brazil. The first model? The Volkswagen Type 2, better known as the VW bus (or "Bulli" in Germany). To date, 1.5 million vehicles have been built in São Paulo.

For Brazilians, VW is a national brand. The Brazilian subsidiary in São Paulo developed numerous models on its own and also exported them. VW buses and beetles were among the very first motor vehicles to be produced almost entirely in Brazil. The design for the VW bus, however, originally sprang from the pen of a Dutchman named Ben Pon.

The German word "Kombinationsfahrzeug," or "combination motor vehicle," is a recognized class of vehicle under German tax law. But for Brazilians in the 50s, the word didn't translate. They reduced it to "Kombi," forever after referring to the vehicles as such - even as the shape of the vehicle gradually changed.

The word "Kombi" was an appropriate one for a vehicle as versatile as the VW bus. In Brazil, it functioned as a family car, vacation vehicle, vegetable transporter, construction truck, portable juice bar or - here - as an ambulance

A Brazilian couple converted this VW bus into a mobile home - with an office. They plan to drive it across four continents, or 200,000 kilometers. That a VW bus is capable of such a trip has already been proven. In the 70s, Germans Juliana and Dieter Kreutzkamp drove theirs, dubbed "Methusalem," a half-million kilometers.

For many Brazilian companies, a "Kombi" is part of their business model. Depending on the firm's needs, it comes in four basic varieties. With nine seats, it works great as a taxi. As a transport vehicle, it can function as an enclosed van, in a pick-up truck variety, and as a two-seater with loading space (pictured).

Also adding to the vehicle's fame in Brazil was its dependability. Its relatively simple construction allowed any mechanic to fix a broken-down "Kombi" with a pair of pliers and wrench. For those living in Brazil's back country, that has proven of incalculable value.

Nevertheless, the VW bus has not kept up with the times. A few extra horsepower here, water cooling, a catalyzer and a flex-fuel motor taking gasoline and ethanol were the exceptions. But when new legislation required motor vehicles in Brazil to come with anti-lock brakes and airbags by 2014, VW decided to retire the vehicle.

For its "Last Edition," VW went for the "Saia e blusa" look, or "skirt and blouse," a reference to the vehicle's traditional two-colored paint job and the fact that in Portuguese, "Kombi" is feminine. The price of 15,000-27,000 euros ($20,000-$36,000) includes MP3 radio and a USB port - and factors in its value as a collector's item. The final series was limited to 1,200 vehicles.