Custom-made stretch VW 'hippie wagon' is almost eight metres long and seats more than 20 people

An Indonesian mechanic has created what he claims is the world's longest Volkswagen Kombi van - the much-loved 'hippie wagon'. 

The iconic vehicle - which was first produced in Germany in the 1950s - finally ended its epic journey in 2013 when it went out of production.

But mechanic Wahyu Pamungkas, from Semarang, Indonesia, found a way to infuse his van with a new lease of life.

Mr Pamungkas and his team of 30 workers spent a whole year creating the new vehicle, which stretches to 7.6 metres long - almost three times the length of a Smart car, at 2.6 metres. 

But the work was not cheap, and the VW fanatic spent more than £20,000 (400million Indonesian Rupiah) on building the van. 

He claims to have built the vehicle by dissecting two normal Kombi vans and piecing them back together and altering the chassis in the process. He also swapped the former 1,500cc engine for a 2,000cc engine so it would be able to cope with the additional weight.  

The intrepid mechanic also made a 6.9metre-long Kombi van in 2009, which was later sold to an Australian for £11,200. The van - which became synonymous with a 'hippie' lifestyle of travel and freedom - finally ended its production life after 63 years. Dailymail