The Volkswagen Type 2 (also known as Transporter) was the second automotive line introduced by German automaker Volkswagen. It was a van introduced in 1950, initially based on Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1, also known as the "Beetle". The Type 2 is the forerunner of modern cargo and passenger vans. The Type 2 spawned a number of imitators both in the United States and Europe including the Ford Econoline, Dodge A100, and the Chevrolet Corvan, the last even adopting the Type 2's rear-engine configuration. Updated versions of this line are still being produced in international markets, both as a passenger and cargo van and as a pickup truck. It is also unofficially known as a "Microbus" or "hippie van," the latter due to its popularity with the 1960s/70s counterculture movement.