If we gave you £150,000, what would you spend it on?
Ok, first things first, there’s one rule. You have to spend it on vintage VW campers. It’s your choice. Let’s go shopping…
No.1: The VW Camper world record holder…
The world record holder; coming in at a whopping £235,000.
Let’s start at the top of the chain. Here’s the current world record holder. Sold at auction recently for a whopping $302,500 (approximately £235,000) this 1965 VW 21-window Deluxe Bus will set any VW bus lover’s heart racing. It’s undergone a complete restoration. The body is perfect, sprayed to perfection in Mercedes Black and Bentley Magnolia White. The engine is a 1915cc sporting 120hp and 4-speed transaxle. It has front and rear Airkewld disc and custom 17″ wheels. The Kicker car audio is awesome and hidden throughout the cabin. All windows are safari and pop-outs finished in chrome. Sure it’s over budget, but surely it’s worth selling your current van, or home, so you can afford it, isn’t it?
No.2: For seekers of authentic perfection…
A rare find indeed. It even comes with the original paperwork.
If the world record holder is a bit too bling for you and you prefer something that is sympathetically restored, giving you the ‘just driven off the production line’ feeling, then our number 2 could be for you.
This Devon Type 2 Deluxe Microbus is among the most sought-after models of the VW camper, which was an instant hit when it took to the roads in 1950. This 1964 model, with a sea blue bottom half and pale blue top, was despatched from the VW factory in Wolfsburg to Ramsgate, Kent, where it was then transformed into a camper van by conversion company Devon. The engine is a 1.5-litre unit with a power output of 42bhp.
This ultra-rare Volkswagen features a host of desirable options such as a two-hob gas cooker, a fridge with water tap, heating, two bench seats with a table which can be converted into a double bed, curtains all round, storage compartments in doors and under the seats, a wardrobe in the rear, additional interior lighting and grey fabric upholstery.
Expect to pay: £120,000+
No. 3: Let’s Samba
Sold by Bonhams in 2015 for £91,100, this stunning 1960 Volkswagon Type 2 Devon Samba Deluxe Micro Bus will no doubt cost considerably more than this now, so don’t expect much change out of £125,000+
This highly desirable, 'split screen', 23-window Devon Samba has all original and with matching numbers; it is one of only five known 23-window Deluxe models with original Devon conversions, and one of only two with 'special order' mahogany interiors (usually they were oak). When Splittie passed to another owner in 1986 it had covered just 50,000 miles from new, had its original paint, and the sunroof had never been opened! The question is, if you bought it, would you open the sunroof?
No.4: Let’s fly away
This beauty started life in Germany where it rolled off the production line with a 1.6-litre twin-port four-cylinder engine located in the rear. It was then shipped to San Francisco where EZ Campers of Little Rock, California, fitted it with a totally bespoke wooden interior. It eventually ended up being imported to the UK in 2005 and a full 'no expense spared' restoration commenced. It was eventually completed in 2012 with the wood having been fully restored and kept to the exact specification that EZ Campers had fitted when it was new. A new old stock engine was sourced too and has covered just 5,000 miles since.
Expect to pay £100,00)+
No.5: It’s a VW but not as we know it…
The original T1.
The inaugural T1 model - a far cry from today’s models.
If you’ve ever wondered where all of these beautiful vans originated from then look no further. Here’s the original T1. Utilitarian and robust, with its tyres firmly gripping onto the design ethos of ‘form follows function’, it paved the way for many models to come.
Cost? Priceless.