1959 Volkswagen Type 2 Double Cab (Doka)
Of the many configurations the Type 2 spawned across its long production run, the Doppelkabine (Doka) crew cab pickup remains among the rarest and most practical.
The model traces its origins to 1958, when a German landscaping company commissioned coachbuilder Binz to convert single-cab Transporters into double-cab trucks. Volkswagen was sufficiently impressed to contract Binz for catalogued production, and by early 1959, the Hanover plant had taken over the conversion work in-house.
The configuration provided two full rows of seating ahead of an open flatbed with three drop sides for easy loading.
The flatbed, unobstructed by fender wells, accommodated wider loads than comparable vehicles of the period. The characteristic split windshield identifies this as a first-generation T1, a body style produced through the end of the 1967 model year.
Power came from a 1,192cc air-cooled flat-four producing 36 horsepower, paired with a four-speed manual transmission with a non-synchronized first gear. Full synchromesh would not arrive on the Transporter until the 1960 model year, along with the later 40-horsepower 1,192cc engine.
Type 2 production ultimately continued in Brazil until December 31, 2013, outlasting the Beetle itself, a fitting end for what began as a simple commercial hauler.
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