The Volkswagen Microbus Concept Car (also known as the Volkswagen New Microbus and Volkswagen Microbus Concept) was a concept car

Concept car

A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....

 recalling the original Volkswagen Microbus

Volkswagen Type 2

The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...

 and first presented at the 2001 North American International Auto Show

North American International Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...

.

The new Microbus was completely modern compared to its predecessor, featuring a 7-inch screen in the center console and a second ceiling-located 7-inch screen that allowed the driver to see behind the vehicle.

In June 2002 Volkswagen announced that the Microbus, using the platform of the forthcoming T5 light van

Volkswagen Transporter (T5)

The Volkswagen Transporter T5 range is the fifth generation of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles medium-sized light commercial vehicle and people mover Caravelle/Multivan range...

, was scheduled for production commencing during 2003 at the company's Hannover plant, ramping up to 80,000 units annually by 2005. The launch was deferred, however, and the project was formally canceled in early 2005. In 2005, VW instead announced that Chrysler would build minivans for Volkswagen in the United States, while in Europe the VW Transporter Multivan would fill the niche previously intended for the reborn Microbus.

The Chrysler built Volkswagen Routan

Volkswagen Routan

The Volkswagen Routan is a seven-seat minivan and rebadged variant of the Chrysler RT platform, with revised styling, content features, and suspension tuning from the fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country....

 was released to the North American market in September 2008. Unrelated to the new Microbus, the Routan is a seven-seat minivan

Minivan

Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....

 and is a rebadged

Badge engineering

Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...

 variant of the Chrysler RT platform, fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country.

In September 2008, Autoblog reported that the Microbus Concept might actually be produced, and at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen unveiled a second, smaller concept van (also reminiscent of the first generation Transporter) called the Bulli.

External links

• Automotive.com, First Look: Volkswagen Microbus, 2007
• Concept Cars (UK), Concept Car Database, Volkswagen Microbus