In this case the van is a Canadian VW and I always assumed it arrived from the factory installed. If you are correct then it must have been installed at the dealership as the original photo of the van a week after delivery shows the full spare.
@@curiousdude3196 mine is Canadian as well, these were often installed by dealers, to free up space in the rear bed area. Yours came with a space-saver, but customers didn’t want the hassle of packing compressors or canned air. Some people thought the tire would provide some protection in a front crash.