1966 Volkswagen Microbus Microbus

The Volkswagen was originally conceived by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and its origins are rooted as the German 'people's car', later becoming one of the all-time best seller and a cult classic. It built a reputation for its reliability, affordability, adaptability and practicality.

In similar fashion to the immortal 'Beetle', the Volkswagen Type 2 and its derivatives were also popular. It enjoyed an even longer period in production than their saloon progenitor.

In the late 1940s, the original concept was conceived by a Dutch Volkswagen agent named Ben Pon, whose plans for a van were based on the Beetle floor pan and running gear. Pon's efforts arrived in 1950 and became known as the Type 2 - the Type 1 was the Beetle saloon. Over the years, the van was continually updated and many versions of the model were built, catering to a wide range of commercial and domestic activities. The original used the Beetle's rear-mounted 1,200cc air-cooled engine and four-speed gearbox.

The first major revision occurred in 1968, by which point nearly two million examples had been sold worldwide. Its replacement, also called 'Type 2', was an entirely new vehicle. It was larger and roomier with a single-piece wraparound windscreen in place of the prior two-piece split screen. Power units grew in size from 1,600cc to 2.0 liters before production came to an end in 1978 with the introduction of the third generation.

This particular Type 2 is a 'Samba' 21-window model with 8 skylights, 4 pop out windows, and seating for 8 passengers. It was built in Germany and delivered to a dealership in Chicago. Its first owner lived on the West Coast. Its second owner, a California resident, would retain the van for several years before it came into the care of its third and current owner. A full rotisserie restoration began in 2012 and concluded in the fall of 2017. During this time, a single port 1.6-liter crate motor was swapped in to replace the original unit.

The van was finished in Turquoise with Pearl White contrasts and the interior was done in Phosphor and Como Green.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2018