VW Bus Beach Party Recap – Type 2s Only Need Apply

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On 2 June Volkswagen of America held the first International Volkswagen* Bus Day, in Huntington Beach, California with more than 200 people attending with their vintage models. Live broadcast and entertainment was provided by Radio Woodstock with a special musical performance by Jeremy & The Harlequins. The newly invented International Volkswagen Bus Day will continue to be celebrated each 2 June with VW bus and ID. Buzz fans worldwide – it’s hoped in the VW marketing world. (AutoInformed:Three-Row ID.Buzz Debuts on International VW Bus Day)

Volkswagen also unveiled its latest accessories concept vehicle, giving an early look at the customization potential of the ID. Buzz EV. On display alongside this point-of-sale promo was a unique art car, and a handful of vintage Microbus models from Volkswagen of America’s historic collection and some VIP guests.

The VW ID. Buzz concept displays beach or backwoods stuff. Hauling surfboards and other cargo is said to be made easy with the use of a Thule® Caprock platform system plus Thule Board Shuttle attachment. Attached  to the Caprock is Thule’s OutLand Side Awning to help provide protection from sun or rain. Overnight, well, adventures are made comfortably complete with the concept’s kitchen/bed combo from EU-based Ququq®. The modular unit converts into a bed for two and ( we guess the ’60s capacity count is no longer relevant?) with a fully functional kitchen and food prep area. No word on roach holders.

In addition to the sport and camp-themed items, the ID. Buzz Accessories concept has  a number of Volkswagen accessories that include door sills with the ID. Buzz logo, a rear bumper protection plate, all-weather floormats and a universal tablet holder. The exterior of the ID. Buzz has  VW logo valve-stem caps and a branded Volkswagen license plate frame.

Buzz “Love the Earth” Art Car

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While working with Volkswagen to recreate the iconic ‘Light’ Bus (see below), Dr. Bob Hieronimus learned of the brand’s shift toward electromobility and commitment to a more sustainable future. These values conveniently align with messages Hieronimus has been communicating through his many decades as a muralist and art car painter.

In the Spring of 2023, Dr. Bob provided Volkswagen with a sketch of an ID. Buzz festooned with the words “Love the Earth” written in languages from all around the globe. The design is reminiscent of a poster Hieronimus created in 1972 for Earth Day, as commissioned by the holiday’s originator. The 25 languages represent many of the most widely spoken languages on each continent as well as two indigenous languages, Māori and Navajo. In updating the design for the ID. Buzz, Dr. Bob worked with graphic designer Tim Wygal of Lexington, KY.

1954 Bus – Volkswagen of America Heritage Collection

 Painted in the logo German radio company Telefunken, the early Panel Delivery version of the Bus demonstrated its versatility for hauling cargo as well as people. It used a modified version of the Beetle’s floorpan and the same 30-horspower flat-four engine.

1958 23-Window Bus – private owner

 A 1958 Double Door converted from a panel van to a 23-window with custom paint in Urban BMW Green and a custom double-stitch diamond pattern interior with a custom double flipper seat. Chrome accents appear throughout the exterior and interior of the vehicle. The Bus also has a custom ball joint front suspension with Wilwood disc brakes and a Freeway Flyer Pro Street transmission for highway cruising at low revs. The vehicle is powered by a 2.4-liter engine with dual 48 Webers, a 10:5:1 compression ratio and an A-1 performance exhaust.

1963 23-Window Rotisserie – private owner

 An original German-built bus with the  23-window option and full customization. Paint is the original color scheme of Mouse Grey/Pearl White with a custom interior in Mesh Grey/Burgundy Red leatherette with Ivory piping. Chrome plating has been added to all exterior trim and interior accents. The drivetrain consists of chrome Fuchs wheels, custom ball joint front suspension with Wilwood disc brakes and a Freeway Flyer Pro Street transmission. This Bus is powered by a 2.3-liter engine with dual 44 Webers, a 9:1 compression ratio and an A-1 performance exhaust.

1963 Standard Microbus, aka the ‘Light’ Bus – private owner

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A recreation of the iconic ‘Light’ bus—a Volkswagen Type 2 van made world famous after its appearance at the 1969 Woodstock Art and Music Fair. Dr. Bob Hieronimus painted the original 1963 Standard Microbus in 1968, after an invitation from the van’s owner, who was using it to haul his band to the festival and wanted a ‘magic bus.’ It became a symbol of the Woodstock Art and Music Fair and symbol of the  call for peace, love and unity after a snapshot of the van by The Associated Press was widely used in newspapers and magazines across the country. The van even appeared in the liner of the official Woodstock album. (If the Ap covered this event, AutoInformed missed it)

In 2016, Hieronimus and Canadian documentarian John Wesley Chisholm set out to find the van ahead of Woodstock’s 50th anniversary. Originally, the pair hoped to locate and restore the original ‘Light’ bus, but after a six-month search proved futile, they built a replica. Using crowdfunding, the pair was able to acquire an exact model of the original ‘Light’ bus and begin a painstaking restoration process, including a six-week effort by Hieronimus and a team of five artists to recreate the original paintings from the bus.

After learning about the project, Volkswagen of America said it supported the search and restoration process. A team of Volkswagen fans have also helped bring the project to fruition, offering their services and jumping in to assist the duo.

1966 21-Window Bus – private owner

 A 1966 21-window German-built VW bus, customized with Root Beer/Tangerine Metallic two-tone paint and tan tweed interior with brown piping. Drivetrain consists of chrome Fuchs wheels, custom ball joint front suspension with Wilwood disc brakes and a Freeway Flyer Pro Street transmission. The Bus is powered by a 2.3-liter Porsche 911-style engine with dual 44 Webers, a 9:1 compression ratio and an A-1 performance exhaust.

1967 21-Window Bus – Volkswagen of America Heritage Collection

 The rarest and most expensive variant of the classic Bus was the 21-Window “Samba” version, which has now become a sought-after collector’s item. The Volkswagen-owned copy in two-tone white-on-orange paint makes all of 53 hp.

1967 Standard Microbus – private owner

 The original bus from the iconic 80’s movie, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, which was driven by the stoner/surfer character Jeff Spicoli in the film. The bus was found after it had been lost for decades and the owners paid homage to the film by recreating the vehicle’s exterior and interior details. The restoration debuted in 2016 and the owners have been displaying the bus at various VW and Fast Times at Ridgemont High enthusiast events.

1971 Westfalia Camper – private owner

 An all-original 1971 VW Westfalia Camper with approximately 52,000 miles. It has  its original Sierra Yellow paintwork and is powered by a 1.6-liter engine. Considered a Weekender or Tin-top (without pop-up top), this bus was first owned by a family in Bologna, Italy, from 1971 through 2019, then sold to a dealer in Germany, where it was purchased by its current owner in 2019. Includes Italian plates, Italian market side light turn signals (semaphores), Westfalia interior, and rear mudflaps.

1979 Elektrotransporter – Volkswagen of America Heritage Collection

 During the global oil crisis of the 1970s, Volkswagen produced a number of Type 2 buses converted to electric power to explore the feasibility of electric propulsion and charging. In 1978, the Electric Power Research Institute and the Tennessee Valley Authority bought 10 of these electric Type 2s to test how EVs performed under daily use in work fleet conditions.

The electric bus had 72 lead-acid battery cells in an 1874-pound pack under a raised floor with 25.9 kWh of energy. The electric motor was bolted directly to the existing bus’s transmission, which remained locked in second gear, driving the vehicle’s rear wheels. The Transporter produced only 23 horsepower, and claimed a top speed of 48 mph. Testing by NASA was only able to produce a top speed of 44 mph. The technology is crude by current  standards, nevertheless Elektrotransporter did offer an early version of regenerative braking. Based in Chattanooga, the EPRI-TVA fleet clocked a total of about 54,000 electric miles over an 18-month test period.

*Inevitable Footnotes

“VW”, “Volkswagen”, all model names and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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