These included closed vans, pickups, ambulances, minibuses and fire engines. based on the VW transporter. These included closed vans, pickups, ambulances, minibuses and fire engines. However, traders demanded a vehicle that offered more space. It was Kemperink who came up with the first real solution.

In 1954, Kemperink built the first LWB VW transporter, which was based on a normal VW pickup chassis. It was lengthened by 90cm and a box van-type section was fitted. This extended the wheelbase from 2400mm to 3300mm and produced a lightweight box van capable of carrying bulky goods. It could also be loaded by pallet from the side or rear of the vehicle. It offered an incredible 10 cubic metres of interior space instead of the standard 5 cubic metres. This was a lot better than almost every other 1-tonne van in production at the time. It was still powered by the 1192cc 40 hp engine and had an unloaded weight of 1200 – 1315kg.

Production Line

The first van produced was delivered to a mattress manufacturer in Rotterdam. An order was then placed from a biscuit manufacturer called Bolletje, who ordered several vehicles. This, in turn, led to orders from clothing company C & A and a very lucrative order from the Dutch army.

Kemperink produced 2 basic models - the long and the tall (Lang und hoch):

• Der Kastenwagen – Bestelwagen (a LWB high top)

• Die Pritsche – (a lengthened pickup)

The Bestelwagen (unless a special order) was usually supplied without windows. The high-top rear cabin consisted of a square-section tubular steel frame with steel sides. The roof section is made of fibreglass. To compensate for the lack of windows, a clear centre section was usually left to allow for natural lighting of the interior.

Early split-screen van versions had a flat roof profile with rounded edges. Later bay window vehicles had a bowed roof profile, which gave extra headroom inside. This is because it was based on the pickup; all vehicles had separate cabs. Early vehicles had twin (or single) opening side doors and (usually) a very large rear door fitted with gas struts.

During the 60s and 70s, the Kemperink evolved from split screen to Bay window, but little else changed in the basic vehicle. The only major change during that period was the option of a sliding door instead of opening side doors or shutters. This vehicle was designated the ‘Bestelwagen Special’.

From this basic spec, hundreds of these vehicles would be converted into many other different types of utility vehicles, ranging from basic vans to mobile shops. The Dutch army used them as radio rooms, supply vehicles and mobile kitchens. Many were also used for camper conversions.

A moment in time

By the end of the 1970’s there was a lot of competition from Volkswagen, and after 20 years, VW finally came up with their own LWB vehicle (the LT). This proved to be the downfall of Kemperink. Shortly after Volkswagen introduced the T3 Transporter in 1979, production of the Kemperink came to an end. Altogether, about 2000 vehicles of all types were produced.