A minibus (a "small class bus") is a commercial vehicle that is popular throughout the world. According to the standards, there are at least eight seats. A car or a small truck is used to create it. Milestones in the history of minibuses
Milestones in the history of minibuses
The modern minibuses were army 10-12, local cars used by the Germans during World War II. The work of the military engineers proved to be in demand in peacetime and resulted in the creation of a new class of utilitarian vehicles.
The first civilian van is connected to Volkswagen and the car salesman named Ben Pon. At the plant, Ben saw a Beetle decommissioned, fitted for the carriage of goods-with a cut off roof and a completely remodeled passenger compartment, something like a motorized trolley. Ben Pon has proposed the Volkswagen industrial production of a single-dimensional model for the transport of goods and passengers. Fulli project ("Bull"), or T1, began in 1949. In 1950, a modification called Transporter appeared. The foundation of the car was a whole metal frame that ensured the stiffness of the body.
In the 1960s, Transporter became a favorite model of hippie and rock musicians. The machines were painted with bright colors and served not only as a means of transportation, but also a full-fledged home for those who are conscious experiments.
The minibuses were later occupied by automakers from different countries. In the USSR, the first works were introduced in the mid-1960's: the task was to develop a 12-local van with the GAZ-21 powertrain. As a result, two models-RAF-982-1 and RAF-982-2-were immediately available.
In 1976, the Riga car factory, which ran up to 12,000 minibuses of RAF per year, started working in the Latvian town of Elagwe. Incidentally, these vehicles are still in operation in some cities, despite the low level of safety.
In 1994, after the collapse of the USSR, another popular minibus-"Gazelle" appeared on the pipeline of the Gorky Automobile Plant. In the 1990s, it accounted for up to 50% of all passenger traffic in the country.
Today, many companies are manufacturing minibuses (Ford, Peugeot, Fiat, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, etc.).
Minibus yesterday and today
The first civilian minibus of Volkswagen had a back-engine layout and a single-volume "wagon" type (the passenger compartment maximized forward, the driver and the front passenger are seated on the front wheel level). That is, he represented a reduced copy of a full-size bus.
But if large buses are now being produced, mainly in the wagon layout, the minibuses gradually introduced semi-carbonate layout: hood and windshield merged into a single smooth line, but the front wheels are ahead of the driver's seat. The motor is positioned at the front.
A modern minibus is a single-volumetric and/or a half-volumetric body with a wagon or semicubite link. Usually has four doors, the location and type of which depends on the function of the car. The number and size of windows, as well as other parameters of the body, may also vary.
One of the main trends in the development of minibuses is the continuous improvement of safety and comfort of the driver and passengers. The increase in the interior space, the creation of opportunities for transformation of the salon is linked directly with comfort. Many modern microbuses involve folding or rotating seats.
Most modern models are for the city, but there are also those that (like their army "ancestors") are created for off-road. These are off-road microbuses with a large ground clearance and equipped with a complete drive system. They are widely used by special services, as well as hunters, fishermen and travelers.
Classification and use of modern minibuses
Depending on the destination, modern minibuses can be divided into cargo, passenger and freight. The minibus has a metal body and one row of seats, separated by a bulkhead. The cargo bay is normally windowless and is accessible through the rear and side sliding door.
The passenger minibus also has a metal compartment for goods, but it is smaller than the size of the cargo. More space is allocated to the passenger part: the number of places on such a minibus can reach 8.
Finally, a passenger minibus has more than 8 seats and windows around the entire perimeter of the body. Access to the passenger compartment is done through a conventional or sliding side door.
Among the minibuses there are models that are more likely to be called "luxury" than "means of transport". For example, a Volkswagen Multivan Business with a salon, a natural skin, a built-in refrigerator, and a monitor in a ceiling panel.
Actually, the retrofitting of the minibuses is very much in demand today. Most often, the freight model companies make passenger. Another direction is to turn the van into a mobile office with a computer and necessary office equipment.
In addition, the minibuses create real "homes on wheels" with furniture and all living conditions. It is worth noting the Volkswagen California, which is originally designed for travel lovers and is equipped with everything that can be found in a huge house on wheels, including a hoisting roof that provides extra beds.