Gone but not forgotten. This is the iconic (there's that word again), VW Microbus. Production started way back in 1950 and finally ended in December, 2013. That's one heck of a long run, which resulted in about 10 million of these vans being made. The design changed over the years, but it was still basically the original VW van. I think it might even have been one of the first plastic models, that I built and I tell you, gluing all those little windows in the roof drove me crazy.
How about a nostalgic look back........
A classic "let's make fun of ourselves" VW ad from back in the day. The original mini-van? Of course, but for some reason everyone shook their heads and said, "Why didn't I think of that?", when Dodge introduced their Caravan in 1984. But that's another story.
The original RV? Probably. The ol' VDub van seems to have a lot of firsts. But what does one most often think of when this van comes to mind (hint - check this blog's title)?
Yep. The original peace and love, hippie van. Covered with the flower children's drug inspired paintings - their description, not mine, folks. The only thing missing on this version is the peace sign, but then again this particular van is a more recent version.
After a long run in Europe, the last of these vans was relegated to being produced in Brazil. This seems to happen a lot - tired of a particular vehicle? Ship the dies to South America. They'll build anything (again another story for another time).
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| The last hippie with one of the last vans |
Yikes! A couple of years ago the price of nostalgia was almost $200k. Was it worth it, probably not, but a few bidders had the money to try to relive their past. Oh those pricey memories.
Sixty three years of vanning memories rolled up in one Microbus. So, as usual, gone but not forgotten.
Until next time.......
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