Last of iconic Volkswagen buses sold to U.K. business
It’s enough to make a former flower child weep: The last of the iconic hippie vehicles — the Volkswagen bus (aka Transporter, Microbus, Kombi, Vanagon) — has been built. And sold.
The bus, which was introduced in 1950 and which VW calls the Type 2 (the beetle was Type 1), ended production Dec. 31 in San Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, the last place it was being built.
And the last 99 of those were shipped to Bristol, England, where they arrived last month. There, a company called Danbury MotorCaravans took the bare-bones Type 2s and overhauled the interiors into high-end camper buses, as it has done for years.
Danbury says all 99 buses have been bought, at prices starting about $58,000.
VW sold its own camper versions, too, made by Westfalia, and those were reasonably common in the U.S. when the bus was sold here starting in 1959. The campers ranged from straightforward pop-up tops, to provide more headroom and ventilation, to elaborate tents that attached to the side doors of the bus.
Used Type 2s still can be found. A fast online check showed everything from a salvage-condition 1966 model for $100 to a 1973 in “mint condition” advertised at $16,000. A 1973 camper version is listed at $24,900.
The original design was discontinued because it would have been prohibitive to adapt antilock brakes, air bags and other modern safety features, and to upgrade its powertrain to meet emissions and fuel-economy standards adopted by many countries.
VW teased Microbus fans with two concept models, in 2001 and 2011, but scratched production both times. The 2011 iteration was based on a frontwheel-drive Golf-Jetta platform.