Wanderlust-ready – Caddy for the globetrotter

-Caddy PanAmericana concept car was designed for real-life giants
-All-terrain 16-inch tires, full-time all-wheel drive, leather interior

For generations, commercial vehicles from Volkswagen in the style of a Bulli, Multivan or California have been the first choice of globetrotters. That is because they are virtually indestructible and infinitely versatile. Exactly 23 years ago, in the summer of 1985, Volkswagen treated globetrotters (and users of the Transporter models) to the first vehicle with all-wheel drive. A short time later, one of these vans drove around the globe in 131 days – faster than any other car before it.

Since that time, the talented and versatile vans from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have been demonstrating their mastery of long journeys as well as the great construction sites of this world – even making passages that were previously the exclusive domain of off-roaders. A model under the “VW” label especially designed for duty off the beaten path is the Multivan PanAmericana. Essentially, this is a specialist among specialists. In a world premiere at the IAA 2008 in Hanover, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is now presenting the second vehicle under this legendary name – the Caddy PanAmericana concept vehicle.

From a technical perspective, the concept car – like the new Caddy 4MOTION – sports the latest generation of 4MOTION all-wheel drive with electro-hydraulic Haldex clutch. It distributes power from the 250 Newton-meter strong TDI (77 kW / 105 PS) between the front and rear axles so that optimal traction is always guaranteed.

Visually, the concept car – outfitted with two sliding doors – is identified by typical PanAmericana insignias such as “Salt Lake Grey Metallic” body paint, large 16-inch wheels with all-terrain tires (here in size AT 215/70 R16), robust black plastic bumpers, recessed side skirts in aluminum look, protective underbody components in the front and rear also in aluminum look, as well as PanAmericana signatures on the engine hood and its two-section door-style tailgate. Specially framed in aluminum trim are the dark tinted side windows in the rear (privacy windows). In contrast to the production Caddy, tinted taillights and black-background headlight housings were applied to the concept van.

The interior has been upgraded by the use of luxurious and durable leather in the “Cricket” pattern. Similar to the “large” PanAmericana, the seats are designed in a natural brown tone. The individual leather sections are joined by distinctive cross-stitching; for contrast the piping is designed in a light gray tone. Also color coordinated here are the air vents in the instrument area with the metal look of their bezels. Also designed in leather are special pockets in the rear seating area that serve as extra storage compartments.

Incidentally, the PanAmericana name is an homage to two record drives on the route between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego. First, one extreme athlete rode a bicycle over the 22,880 kilometer long stretch between Prudhoe Bay and his destination Ushuaia in support of Aids relief. In another, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles set a world record in the year 1999: the Multivan Syncro of that time completed the Pan-American Highway – the world’s dream road – in just 15 days, 14 hours and 6 minutes. Without all-wheel drive this passage would have been unthinkable