What nickname was used for Volkswagen’s Type 147 postal panel van? It was nicknamed Fridolin.
Volkswagen’s official designation was Type 147 Kleinlieferwagen, meaning “small delivery van,” but the oddly proportioned vehicle became widely known as the Fridolin. The affectionate nickname helped distinguish it from Volkswagen’s better-known Beetle, Transporter, and Kombi models.
The van was created after the German postal service asked Volkswagen for a purpose-built vehicle. It needed a compact body, substantial usable cargo space, sliding doors for tight urban streets, and access between the driver’s area and the load compartment. To keep development costs under control, Volkswagen combined components from several existing models, including Beetle mechanical parts and elements associated with the Karmann Ghia and Transporter.
Production ran from 1964 to 1974, with assembly by Westfalia in Wiedenbrück. Although most examples served postal duties, some went to the Swiss postal service and Lufthansa. That wider use is why “Fridolin” identifies the vehicle itself, not only one particular customer fleet.