We all love cute VW vans, but what about the boring ones?

VW knows cute. Whether it's cute-cute, a la the Beetle, New Beetle and Kharman Ghia, or ugly-cute (see: Thing), VW has been there and done that. But even when the division of labor between fun and function has been pretty clear (say, Beetle vs. 2-Door Golf), there has rarely been as stark a distinction has the one that developed in Volkswagen's van lineup. When compared to the likes of the original Type II, some of the company's passenger vans have the charisma of cold gravy.

With the ID. Buzz and its gasoline equivalent trending back toward sunshine-and-rainbows, we'd like to take a step and remember a few of VW's homelier homes-on-wheels. While we could plumb the depths of the company's European commercial back catalog in search of the dull and displeasing, we'd rather stick to the vans you might actually see on the road here in the States. And while they may not be winning any beauty contests, most of these people-movers have their virtues — and their own cult followings.

Transporter T3 Vanagon

Admittedly, the T2 Transporter was a tough act to follow. The T3 (known here in America as the Vanagon) adopted a more angular, modern body style but retained virtually everything else that made the original Transporter unique, including the rear engine placement. The above is a U.S.-spec Syncro (AWD) model, which was a little longer and got a beefier set of brakes.