The Volkswagen California campervan, an iconic model that has become synonymous with the concept of a campervan over the last two decades, recently celebrated a significant milestone.
The 200,000th model of this iconic vehicle rolled off the production line at Volkswagen’s Hannover-Limmer facility. This achievement underscores the enduring popularity and success of the California campervan.
The California has been a real success story for 35 years,” said Josef Baumert, member of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand board of management responsible for production and logistics.
“200,000 vehicles are also 200,000 customers who are discovering the world with a California ‘Made in Hanover’. This outstanding success is due in particular to the employees who build what is surely the most successful camper van in the world every day with their know-how and passion at the main plant in Stöcken and in camper van production.”
The California campervan was not always produced in Hannover. From 1988 to 2004, the model was produced by conversion company Westfalia based on the T3. Approximately 22,000 of these vehicles were produced before Volkswagen decided to bring the production in-house, according to a Camping Trade World report.
The camper production was established on an area of 7,500 square meters in the Limmer district of Hanover. Initially, around 20 vehicles were built every day by 35 production employees. Over the years, productivity steadily increased, with around 15,150 California vehicles built in 2017.
The construction of the 100,000th California in Limmer was celebrated the following year. Today, just five years later, the total has already reached 200,000 vehicles. Up to 150 vehicles are built every day by 600 employees in three shifts.
“Production of the California in Limmer has developed very impressively – as the figures show: at the start of production in 2004, 2,104 vehicles left the line. This year, the Volkswagen Group Services team is planning to produce 31,000 units,” Hartmut Rickel, spokesman of the management board of Volkswagen Group Services, said.
“This increase and the further development of the Hanover site into a future-oriented production facility make us extremely proud. On behalf of the Management Board, I would like to thank our employees at the location for this success. Without them, this increase would not have been possible.”
The successor to the California 6.1 will also come from Hanover from 2024 and will be manufactured according to the same principle as the current model: the base vehicle is manufactured at the main plant in Hanover-Stöcken, where it receives the necessary cut-outs for the roof, windows, and connections, for example.
It is then converted into a camper van according to customer wishes by experts in the California production department located eight kilometers away; this production site is operated by Volkswagen Group Services.
The impact of this milestone on consumers is significant. The California campervan has been a symbol of freedom, discovery, and adventure for over 35 years, and it continues to be one of the most popular camper vans on the market.
The production of the 200,000th California campervan is a testament to the vehicle’s enduring appeal and the high demand among consumers for quality, reliable, and versatile camper vans.
The production of the 200,000th Volkswagen California campervan in Hannover is a significant milestone that underscores the enduring popularity and success of this iconic vehicle.
This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the employees at Volkswagen’s Hannover-Limmer facility, as well as the high demand among consumers for quality, reliable, and versatile camper vans.
