From the beginning, Volkswagen included a Panel Van in it's model line, and even vintage "barn door" Panels
are still sometimes seen at VW Shows. Considered a "Commercial Model", the Panel body is essentially a Kombi bus shell with the side window openings replaced by a flat metal panel, and 3 horizontal vent slats
positioned up high and towards the rear to ventilate the cargo area. The Panel Van could even
be special-ordered with the window deleted from the rear hatch (M-Code: M127). To separate the driver
from the cargo area, Panel Vans came from the factory with a fiber-board "wall" installed behind the
driver's seat and containing a small window so the driver could keep an eye on the cargo. Most after-market
camper conversion companies based their campers on the simple Kombi bus, but some chose to use the Panel Van
as the basis for their camper conversions (as evidenced by the high vent slats on each side), cutting openings
in the panel sides for the flush-mounted camper windows. A vintage
VW panel makes a great "surf" van, and the long smooth side panels still serve as a perfect canvas for a
company's ad or logo, just as Volkswagen had originally intended.
