Volkswagen Type 147 Kleinlieferwagen

The Volkswagen Type 147, informally the Fridolin, was a panel van that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles produced from 1964 until 1974, mainly for the state-owned Deutsche Bundespost. The German postal service commissioned it in February 1962 as a postal van, and Volkswagen first used the Karmann-built Beetle cabriolet (Type 15) as the starting point for its strength, then turned to the wider Karmann Ghia (Type 14). The engine, transmission and axles came from the Beetle Type 1, the headlights from the VW 1500 and a scaled-down tailgate from the Transporter Type 2. Franz Knobel and Sohn, later Westfalia-Werke, built the vans. Swiss post offices received a version with a 1.3 litre engine and disc brakes, and Lufthansa used some for apron work. Its official name means small van, and its shape earned the nickname Fridolin. From 1964 to July 1974, 6139 were produced.