My 83 Westy has this "feature."

The deal on the rear handle is that someone buckled into the rear
seatbelt can close the door with just a tug, without having to get
unbuckled and go forward. It gets used a lot when my grandaughter or
mother, neither of whom can close the big old door very well from the
inside, get in and out of the car. The rear passenger can push the door
almost closed at the front, then pull in on the handle to good
mechanical advantage.

You can't get the "running start" from the inside that you can outside
the car.

Jim

On Dec 30, 2004, at 3:54 PM, jbange wrote:

> At 01:27 PM 12/30/2004, you wrote:
>> Just got through examining the doors on both.  No provision for a
>> second
>> rear handle.  Did not locate in the us etka either. Then check
>> against the
>> european civilian and military options and did not find it either.
>
> Considering that such a handle would only be usable for the last couple
> inches of closing the door, I'm not surprised it was never a factory
> option. Can't imagine the point of a handle that immediately disappears
> behind the C-pillar upon sliding the door. Maybe someone put it in to
> be
> able to add some "pull" to get a grumpy slider latch to close all the
> way.
>
> John Bange
> '90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"
>