HAPPYCAMPERS!
GOOD summer- loving news for hippies of all ages — the Volkswagen camper van is making a comeback. after many false dawns, VW bosses have confirmed their Microbus really is to return reinvented for the 21st century — as a ‘green’ electric vehicle.
nostalgics will remember that the original type 2 rear-engined campervan — built from the Fifties until 1979, but continued in Brazil until 2013 — was a favourite with beach boys and girls in the flower-power era and beyond, with many still on the road today.
the new high-tech, but retro-styled, eight- seater battery-powered version — working title ID Buzz — will feature variable seating, wi- fi and semi- autonomous driving. It even comes with a mini Buddha on the dashboard.
the Buzz will go on sale across Europe, the u. s. and China from 2022. there’ll also be mini- bus and cargo versions. But, given its likely popularity, I wouldn’t rule out petrol or hybrid editions.
VW bosses said they decided on the relaunch following feedback from fans after the van’s unveiling at the Detroit Motor show in January. I have fond memories of touring Europe as a child in a bright- orange VW camper van. I used to sleep tucked up on a bunk or a table-turned-bed. For others, their experience may have been as students or young adults exploring the world and having adventures — from swimming off the australian coast, to driving down California’s pacific highway 1, or on a road trip across India or asia. Won’t be long before we can all again shout: ‘surf’s up!’