50 Years of the Volkswagen LT & Crafter

On April 22, 1975, the curtain rose at Volkswagen dealerships in Germany. The curtain had to be drawn back further than before, because the new vehicle was larger than the Kombi (Bulli).

Customers for whom the payload of up to 1,000 kg of the T2 (without the M 263, increased payload) was insufficient could now receive an offer from the Hanover-based company: the Lasten-Transporter (LT).

Based on a ladder frame, panel vans, station wagons, pickup trucks, double cabs, and chassis with a payload of at least 1.25 t (LT 28 – permissible total weight 2.8 t) were created.

The other models were the LT 31 (1.5 t payload / permissible total weight 3.1 t) and LT 35 (1.75 t payload / permissible total weight 3.5 t).

The existing model range of light commercial vehicles was expanded upwards and aimed at new customer groups.

Not only were the payloads new, but also the driving characteristics (including a double-wishbone front axle, front stabilizer bar, turning circle under 12 m), high safety thanks to impact elements in the front end, excellent ergonomics, and economy.

Thanks to a sophisticated cab-over-engine design with the engine between the front seats, the LT boasted up to ten cubic meters of cargo volume (as a high roof) despite its compact exterior dimensions. For the first time, customers could choose between two wheelbases (2,500 mm and 2,950 mm); starting with the LT 40, an additional 3,650 mm was available. Initially, a four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 2-liter displacement and 55 kW/75 hp, adopted from Audi, was available. A diesel engine (2.7-liter displacement, 48 kW/65 hp) purchased from the British company Perkins increased economy.

Starting in 1979, Volkswagen presented a newly developed 6-cylinder diesel engine, which, with its 2.4-liter displacement and initial output of 55 kW/75 hp, made faces behind the wheel light up. A flat torque curve and good elasticity ensured appealing performance.

By 1996, 471,221 LTs in a variety of configurations had rolled off the assembly line in Hanover. But the story of the big Bulli brother didn't end there. The cab continued to be used in the MAN G series from 1979 onwards; from 1994 onwards, also as the L 80.
Trucks with a revised version of the LT cab rolled off the assembly line in Brazil until 2017.

Volkswagen was also proud of its ergonomics, which had hitherto been rather neglected in commercial vehicles. The cab was developed with the help of ergonomic scientists.

Thanks to this cooperation, for example, the controls were arranged close to the driver and a large windscreen and extra-large exterior mirrors were installed.

Among other things, an extra ride comfort was provided by individual wheel suspension on the front axle, which was still not standard in the segment many years after the introduction of the LT. Initially, the Volkswagen was available with a choice of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from the Audi 100 (throttled down to 55kW/75 hpand adapted to operation in a commercial vehicle) or a 2.7-litre four-cylinder diesel engine from the English manufacturer Perkins with 48 kW (65 hp).

Volkswagen replaced it in 1979 with its first own six-cylinder diesel engine. Although the new 2.4-litre engine produced only eight hp more in the LT than its predecessor, it developed significantly more torque and ran extremely smoothly - so quietly that even Volvo installed this engine in their first six-cylinder passenger car.

Like the Bulli, the LT has received numerous facelifts over the years. Here is an excerpt:

1983:

• Six-cylinder turbo diesel with 75 kW (102 hp). As a result, the LT had grown to become the most powerful transporter in Europe.

• Six-cylinder petrol engine with 66 kW (90 hp)

• Optimised installation position of the engine provides space for a third seat in the cab

• Redesigned dashboard.

• Third wheelbase for dropbeds up to 4.6 metres in length available

1985:

• LT 55 with 5.6 tonnes gross vehicle weight

• LT 35 optionally with rear axle with single tyres

• Switchable all-wheel drive 4x4

• Facelift with rectangular headlights instead of the previous circular

1985 VW LT 4x4 Brochure - German Language 

1993:

2 / 8• Facelift with new radiator grille and plastic elements in the area of the tail lights

• Revised turbo diesel with intercooler and 70 kW (95 hp)

Due to its quality and reliability, coupled with the large usable area with compact dimensions, the LT also quickly became a popular base for motorhomes. Even today, a large number of them are on the roads of the world. So it came as no surprise to anyone in 1988 that, in addition to the compact California based on the third- generation (T3) of the Bulli, Volkswagen also presented a motorhome based on the LT: With the Florida, Volkswagen offered a fully equipped motorhome for four people with a wet cell.

Volkswagen LT Florida - camping for 4 with wet cell

Dez 1993 Volkswagen LT Florida Camper Brochure - German

Provided courtesy of our friends at Westfalia LT Info - the world's authority on Westfalia 

After 21 years and more than 470,000 LT vehicles produced, the time was ripe for a successor in 1996.

1996: 

The second generation of the LT

After 21 years, the era of the compact and popular load transporter came to an end in 1996. As with the change from the T3 to the T4, the change from the LT1 to the LT2 was also a change into a more modern age. The LT2 was the first new vehicle to be introduced by the newly founded Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWN) brand in Hanover, which was founded in 1995. The development of this and the subsequent model series was carried out in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz.

The diesel engines were now installed lengthwise under a short bonnet. The entry was much lower, and it was possible to easily reach the rear of the load and passenger compartment between the front seats. Volkswagen's recipe for success of offering customers a wide range of products has also been retained in the LT2. There were also panel vans, station wagons, buses, dropsides, double cabs and chassis with three wheelbases and a gross vehicle weight of between 2.6 and 4.6 tonnes.

Another advantage was the popular TDI engines: they were also the first choice in the LT2 because they were economical, powerful and reliable. In 2002, VWN turned the LT2 into an "express" vehicle with a new 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. The engine had 116 kW (158 hp) and a maximum torque of 331 Nm. These were record figures in the segment.

Production at the Stöcken plant ended in 2006 after almost 340,000 vehicles.

2006: The Crafter

Based on the basic concept of its predecessor, the Crafter was launched on the market in 2006 – visually in truck design and technically a completely new vehicle.

This was also made clear by the new name: Crafter stood and still stands for a dynamic helper in everyday work, for "someone who lends a hand".

The most spectacular variant to date was certainly the Crafter 4MOTION with Achleitner all-wheel drive presented in 2012. In its full configuration, the vehicle was equipped with up to three locks, raised and had off-road tires as well as a complete underride guard. The Crafter 4MOTION was able to demonstrate its qualities as a support vehicle at the 2012 Rallye Dakar.

For ten years, the Crafter was again produced in a wide variety of variants (panel van, station wagon, bus, dropside, double cab and chassis). More than 480,000 units sold speak for the success of this third generation.

2016: The new Crafter – 100 % Crafter – 100 percent VWN

In 2016, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles unveiled the second-generation Crafter for the first time. It is a vehicle developed from scratch and again in-house, for which a new plant was even built in Września, Poland.

During the development process, the experts at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles asked customers more intensively than ever before about their needs and ideas. And they were also invited to play an active role in shaping the new Crafter according to their ideas.

Specialists from Hanover often accompanied the drivers in their everyday lives and asked them about their wishes directly at their workplace.

The result is probably the best and most diverse vehicle in the C/D segment of light commercial vehicles. In addition to the various bodies, the Crafter was now also available for the first time with front, rear or all-wheel drive. Thanks to its passenger car handling and an unprecedented range of safety and driver assistance systems, the new Crafter has become the benchmark in the Segment.

A gross vehicle weight of up to 5.5 tonnes, a loading volume of up to 18.4 m3 and an outstanding variety of drives and derivatives offer customer-oriented functionality and solutions suitable for everyday use for individual transport tasks from all areas of use. The international jury of commercial vehicle journalists from 24 European countries awarded the Crafter the title of "Transporter of the Year 2017" as soon as it was launched on its market.

One year later, VWN presented the electrically powered 'e-Crafter' variant and the 'Grand California' motorhome as an extension of the Crafter product range. 

2024: The new Crafter – more safety, more comfort, the same price level

The new Crafter is available as standard with digital instruments: the so-called 'Digital Cockpit'. The defining interior detail of the 2024 Crafter is its now 10.3-inch and optionally 12.9-inch display based on the latest 'Modular Infotainment Toolkit'(MIB).

The visually free-standing VW system features a newly developed graphical user interface and a self-explanatory menu navigation. In addition, the Crafter received a new online voice control system for numerous vehicle functions with "ChatGPT" integration, which responds to natural voice commands.

The handbrake and the switch of the automatic gearbox have been redesigned, as well as the controls for the light functions, the buttons in the area of the enter console and all air vents. Take the handbrake, for example: it is now an electronic parking brake, operable via a switch in the cockpit, and the previous lever between the front seats is no longer required.

The range of new standard and optional assistance systems takes the successful Crafter series to a new level. In future, the following systems will be part of the standard equipment of all new Crafters: 'Front Assist' (emergency braking assistant including cyclist and pedestrian detection), 'Lane Assist' (lane departure warning), traffic sign recognition, a speed limiter and an acoustic parking aid for the rear area.

For the first time, 'Travel Assist' will be available as an option for the Crafter; In combination with it, 'Emergency Assist' also finds its way into the Crafter.

Despite more extensive safety equipment and more comfort features that make everyday working life in the new Crafter easier, the prices are on a par with the predecessor model.

By the end of 2024, almost 500,000 units of the new Crafter had already been produced.