Old VW Kombi campervan transformed into a TANK with tracks
Published on May 30, 2022 at 2:39 PM (UTC+4)
by Kate Bain
Last updated on May 30, 2022 at 2:39 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This old Kombi van has been restored into a tank.
And it might just be the best off-roading camper to ever exist.
Shipped to Austria in 1962, it lived as a totally normal T1 for years… until a Viennese mechanic got his hands on it.
READ MORE! The 4-ton suit that makes you strong enough to flip a CAR
Volkswagen mechanic Kurt Kretzner desperately wanted a comfortable Kombi van that could tackle the mountains in rain, hail or snow.
When he couldn’t find anything on the market, he decided to build it himself.
Kretzner gave it four axles, two steerable front axles and two rear axles with chain drive.
At the front were 14-inch rough-tread tires.
And at the back, 13 inch tires mounted on chains – a design he created himself.
CHECK THIS OUT!
As a result, the Half-track Fox was born, ready to tackle the snowy mountains of Austria.
Kretzner described his creation as “an ideal helper for everyone: mountain hut keepers, hunters, foresters, doctors, maintenance engineers for ski-lifts, TV and radio masts, pipelines and the like”.
The project took four years, but in the end he built the off-road camper of his dreams.
Almost 60 years later, the Half-track Fox came into the hands of VW’s Classic Vehicles department.
And thus began the Kombi’s second big transformation.
Under the guiding principle “remember – experience – preserve” the experts began the painstaking process of restoration.
The 60-year-old bodywork was stripped of paint, repaired, given a cathodic dip coating and repainted in the same bright orange it was loved for.
The team not only overhauled the exterior but also redid the interior and got the mechanics of the van back to as-new condition.
After its makeover, the four-axle T1 finally made its way back to the snow to show what it was capable of.
And the result was magical.
“The driver was more likely to capitulate on steep climbs than the Half-track Fox!” the team said.
It’s not the only VW mini bus to get headlines this year.
The iconic Kombi has also been reimagined as the ID Buzz.
Supercar Blondie got to check out the ID Buzz up close, you can watch the full video below!
See inside the VW ID Buzz:
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Kate is Lead Editor, overseeing coverage across automotive, tech, and lifestyle content on the site. She has more than 10 years’ experience as a journalist and news editor, having worked across a range of major publications including News Corp, Daily Mail Australia, and Sky News. Kate holds a Bachelor of Business Management from University of Queensland and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from Queensland University of Technology. She has been with Supercar Blondie since 2020 and played a key role in establishing supercarblondie.com as a leading automotive news destination.
