Another Trip Down Diesel Street

A further stroll down Wolfsburg’s Diesel Street quickly unearths a lovely array of Transporters well worthy of a word or three.

- Richard Copping

Let’s be honest, on our first outing to the Stiftung AutoMuseum on Diesel Street we didn’t make a great deal of progress. Interesting hopefully, but hardly speedy! ‘Must do better’, came the editorial edict. Down to business then, the emergency business and one of Wolfsburg’s own, the factory built core model Ambulance.

From the word go, the Ambulance was seen as one of the core models in the range. An explanation regarding why an inevitably niche market vehicle like an Ambulance should be so significant in VW’s master production plan is always absent. Consider the figures; the ‘best’ year for the Ambulance in split-screen terms is 1965, when 864 vehicles were built. By comparison, the delivery van clocked up 48,481 units in 1964 and even the expensive Samba attracted 18,790 vehicles in 1966.