 In February 1962 the German Postal Services commissioned Volkswagen to design them a postal van that would suit their needs.To lower costs, VW started off with the Karmann produced Beetle cabriolet (Type 15) as basis for the van due to its strength in build but later turned to the Karmann Ghia (Type 14) for basis as it was wider.The engine, the transmission and axles originated from the VW Beetle Type 1, the headlights from the VW 1500, and the tailgate (scaled-down) from the VW Transporter (Type 2).