1962 Volkswagen Transporter Station Wagon

Volkswagen introduced their Transporter at the 1949 Geneva Auto Show. Production continued for a rather long time, continuing in Brazil through December of 2013, by which point more than nine million examples had been produced. In Germany, they were known as the Bulli and were produced in air-cooled, and later water-cooled,
variations, prior to the arrival of the front-engine Eurovan in 1993.

The first generation of the Transporter was produced from 1950 through 1967 and was first sold in the U.S. in 1952. This early Transporter was known as the 'split-window' for its two-piece windshield. Power was from a 1,131 cubic-centimeter engine offering 25 horsepower. In 1953, a larger 1192cc version was introduced, which - by 1959 - had grown to displace 1285cc and offered 40 horsepower. That year, a full synchromesh gearbox became available. By 1962, the one-millionth Transporter example had been produced.

The Volkswagen Type 2 were versatile vehicles and used as ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, campers, railroad speedsters, hearses, and crane trucks. Buyers could order the vehicle with doors on one or both sides, with the panel van offering as many as nine doors, making it easier to load and unload materials in narrow streets.

In 1952, a Volkswagen Pickup arrived, and crew-cabs with a shorter five-foot bed arrived in 1957. In 1961, the Volkswagen Microbus was introduced and was one of the earliest vehicles to be offered as a camper from the factory. The conversion from microbus to camper was performed by Westfalia-Werke, which became known as simply the 'Westfalia.' They came equipped with two upholstered bench seats that converted into a bed, a front seat that could sleep children, storage space, a wardrobe, and a tent to increase the living area. The Westfalia, known as the SO, for sonderausfuhrungen (special equipment), made the Microbus a suitable vehicle for camping and long trips. Two models were available through 1965, the SO-34 and the SO-35. The SO-34 has a laminated white interior, while the SO-35 featured finished wood.

This particular vehicle is a SO-35 Westfalia Camper. It has birch plywood interior panels and cabinetry, a laminated folding table, and bright plaid canvas seats with matching yellow curtains. This Camper also included a child's hammock and a factory accessory awning. Optional equipment includes a hatch-top roof, opening front 'safari' windows, and a luggage rack for extra baggage.

This Camper has been treated to a no-expense-spared restoration. It has a four-speed manual transmission, a factory Blaupunkt radio, an original luggage rack, a sub-hatch roof, plaid rear seats, wood cabinetry, a factory-optional tent, a table, and vast storage space. It is finished in Blue White and Turquoise two-tone paint and has been driven just 2,534 miles since the restoration was completed.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2015