There’s no doubt about it; the ultimate Bus for many is the Samba, or the ‘VW Kleinbus “Sonderausführung” (special model) as Volkswagen originally opted to call it. Twenty-three windows, twenty-one, fifteen, or thirteen, the full works with sunroof, or as a tin-top, to most of us it really doesn’t matter. Well, here’s a few that were unearthed earlier, mainly either at Hessisch or Camberg and most of them date to the period when Chestnut Brown (L73) reigned supreme along with even longer-lasting Sealing Wax Red (L53).
First up - pictures one and two - how’s this for a real beauty? By general reckoning, it dates from the period after 10 March ‘53, when the rear bumper became part of the standard spec (for Sambas only), a dating detail confirmed by a pivoting quarter-light and a side mirror angled down - both changes effected on 2 Jan 1953. What this lovely Samba illustrates is gorgeous originality. Let’s have a look at a page filched from a 1956 brochure (post barn door and picture three) and ramble on, (sorry discuss), the finer points of the much more expensive model than the rest of the bunch Transporters. Grabbing a price list dated 10 March 1954, the Pick-up rumbled in at DM 5,725, the Micro Bus at DM 6,975 and the Samba at an eye-watering DM 8,475.
Of course, the money was all in the trim. For starters there was the sun-roof manufactured by Golde and the skylights, initially made of Plexiglas (think sort of Perspex) to keep costs down. And where did that idea come from? Think of coaches of the era and earlier and there they are; windows in the roof panel offering light and luxury to holidaymakers.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 155-Ausgabe von Volkswagen Camper and Commercial.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 155-Ausgabe von Volkswagen Camper and Commercial.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Lance & Lisa Beaver tell the story of their...‘Old School' Westfalia Bay
The history of our bus is varied. I heard that it used to belong to a soccer player who lived in it for a while, and a tale of a cross country trip that was taken in it. Since we’ve owned it, we have been to numerous car shows with our car club Kahiko Kula and enjoy that immensely, but taking it camping is our joy.
Messing About in Boats
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
Hector A Cautionary Tale.
We’d wanted a splitscreen bus for years. And first got the bug, after hiring one for a holiday in Cornwall in 2009.
Ruby Red
Since the tender age of just 3, Joanne Dix has been into splitscreen Volkswagens.
Playing with Fire
‘There we were, all just sitting around the campfire...’
Four lads take on Le Mans
We’d had the Le Mans 24 hour race on our bucket list for a long, long time...
Happy 70th Birthday, Miss Sofie!
This T1 Bulli from 1950 is the world’s oldest street-legal VW bus and is kept in VWCV’s Classic Vehicles collection in Hannover.
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay…
Lockdown Projects.
California Dreamin'
The beginning of our second week and we were being treated to a day out...
Brochure Line - A 2.6 litre T3!
Taking a peep at a highly desirable VW Bus few of us will ever see in its ‘Exclusiv’ finery