Description
Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
Viewing: Tues 28th July from 1pm
Auction 29th July, 2026 12:00
Location: Pavilion Gardens St John's Rd, Buxton SK17 6BE
Registration No: HRL 492DChassis No: the details belowMOT: Exempt
Converted to an ice cream van by leading specialist builders Whitby Morrison
Extensive recent refurbishment by Type 2 Detectives
Recently ranked in the top five ice cream businesses in Manchester
Invoices on file relating to over £16, 000 worth of expenditure
Visiting Wolfsburg in 1946 to explore the possibility of becoming Volkswagen’s first international concessionaire, Dutch businessman Ben Pon was intrigued by a pared back, Type 1-derived parts-mover ‘plattewagen’ which he saw traversing the factory. Positing that the improvised hack could form the basis of another model line, Pon doodled a van with the driver and engine positioned above the front and rear axles respectively on April 23rd 1947. Although his concept struck a chord with VW’s management, demand for the Type 1 (Beetle) was such that productionising the Type 2 (Bus) was not a priority. A prototype was eventually built and its successors refined via the wind tunnel at the Technical University of Braunschweig with the result that their drag coefficients tumbled from 0. 75 to 0. 44 (the Beetle / Type 1 was 0. 48 by comparison). Greenlit on May 19th 1949, the very first Type 2 rolled off the production line just under six months later. The initial Kombi and Commercial variants were subsequently joined by Microbus, Pick-Up and Ambulance derivatives. Nicknamed the ‘Split Screen’ or ‘Splittie’ on account of its distinctive, two-part, V-windscreen, the first iteration of the T1 lasted until 1967 in Germany.
This may look like an ordinary split-screen Type 2 at first glance, but you only have to open the doors—or the serving hatch—to see that it is a Volkswagen with a difference. Imported from the USA in 2009, it was restored and converted into an ice cream van by Whitby Morrison of Crewe, described by Auto Express as “the world’s leading ice cream van manufacturer.” The present owners purchased it in 2022 for their “Ice Cream Dub” business, through which the van became a major drawer at weddings and other events, with LovinManchester. com naming it one of the “top five best ice cream businesses in Manchester.”
The Volkswagen is equipped with large freezers and a new compressor so that it can always offer four to six choices of ice cream, along with cupboards for sugar cones, tubs, napkins, sprinkles and sauces. The interior provides enough space for two serving staff. Between events, it has received much recent attention from Type 2 Detectives, including overhauling the steering, gearbox, upgrading to disc brakes, upgrading the suspension, and a pearlescent respray, with invoices on file since 2022 for just under £16, 000. It is said to be capable of silent operation for over fifteen hours without a power connection, and the vendors report 68 per cent. gross profit margins and proven weekly turnover potential of £1, 000-2, 000 (seasonal). Although it drives very well under its own power, it is supplied with a brand-new twin axle car trailer with a powered winch and integrated ramps—truly everything for the entrepreneur wanting to mix the business of catering with the pleasure of a classic vehicle. Of course, the van could also be quite easily converted back to its original use and be used again for many happy holiday excursions!
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Entry by catalogue and can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people)
