Lifestyle Accessory

It’s been said that a brand is not a way of life, but try telling that to anyone who has allowed an old VW into theirs…

- James Peene

Let’s get one thing perfectly clear shall we? It doesn’t matter how much you love your old VW, you don’t actually need it do you? Come on, be honest. That’s because we doubt there are many people who still rely on one as a daily means of transport or as a work tool. No. For me, you and the owners of this one, Heather Newby and Gary Allen, they are a great way to enjoy some down time. They compliment their lifestyle and have become, well a lifestyle accessory.

Travel buddy

When you hear how much travelling Heather and Gary have done it’s little wonder the only vehicle that can satisfy their wanderlust is a splendid example of VW’s finest. Heather reveals: “We travel a lot for work and have lived in India, New Zealand and South Africa. It’s our hope that one day we can ship our Bus over to the US and travel round for a few months. We’re still out of the country a lot, and the Bus goes into storage for months at a time, but when we’re back, it comes out and is used for a couple of weeks and then it goes away again, until the next time we’re home.”

All of which goes some way to explaining why it has remained in such great condition, since buying it back in 2007. But, that’s not to say it hasn’t required any work over the last 11 years. Far from it.

Eagle-eyed readers will already have clocked that this is a desirable 15-window Split, but have you noticed the number plate? It’s not a pre-suffix plate as you would expect to find on a German-built Deluxe, but ends with an ‘N’ which reveals it to be a 1975 model and therefore of Brazilian origin.