The VW Transporter celebrates sixty years in production this year, during which time many have been put to use in roadside assistance and light recovery work. But in an interesting change from the norm (of putting old and new vehicles side-by-side) VW in the UK commissioned a study to see how the van drivers have evolved over the years.

In particular, they were interested to see if the stereotype of “white van man” was still alive and well and patrolling the streets of the UK’s cities.

It appears that “white van man” has definitely evolved. The survey found nearly two thirds now take regular exercise, while 40% have ditched the crisps in favour of healthy snacks like fruit. It appears he has also move on culturally, with some 37% saying they enjoyed the arts in the form of plays, exhibitions and films. 80% of drivers keep up with current affairs and 60% enjoy on-line social networking.

But perhaps most shocking off all to the “white van man” stereotype, Volkswagen found that around a third of drivers of its vehicles are now women.