Volkswagen 1967 T1

As one of the forerunners of the modern cargo and passenger vans, the Type 2 gave rise to forward control competitors in the United States in the 1960s, including the Ford Econoline, the Dodge A100, and the Chevrolet Corvair 95 Corvan, the latter adapting the rear-engine configuration of the Corvair car in the same manner in which the VW Type 2 adapted the Type 1 layout.

Like the Beetle, the van has received numerous nicknames worldwide, including the "microbus", "minibus" and, because of its popularity during the counterculture movement of the 1960s, "Hippie van/bus" has become its most popular.