A sight iconic around the world, quite possibly, one of the most recognisable automobiles in history, the Volkswagen Type 2 is truly the physical form of the phrase cult classic. The simplistic design and no nonsense rear mounted air cooled engine shot the VWs into popularity in all forms, with all sorts of vans, pickups and service vehicles rolling out of the Wolfsburg factory. 

Making appearances in November of 1949, the first generation T2 famously coined as the “splitscreen” or “splitty” courtesy of its split windscreen designed to improve aerodynamics, found inundated success in the commercial vehicle market. The radical choice to place the driver above the front wheels started something of a trend with many other European van makers following suit with the models that followed. 

After over a decade of success, 1967 saw the first major evolution of the T2, with Volkswagen introducing what is known as the “bay window”. Distinctly lacking in the split windscreen, the bay window T2, boasted a completely redesigned larger body, a slightly more powerful engine, a sliding side door as standard and a change to 12 volt electrics.

Early versions of the bay window were codenamed the T2a, with the slightly revised versions built post 1971 such as the example we see here, sporting the code name T2b. 

By 1971, an astounding 3 million T2s had been made. The Volkswagen’s reliability, ease of maintenance and general value for money, meant that what was once marketed as a simple commercial vehicle, found more profound fame in the minibus and camper market. With hoards of VW vans now sporting lavish living facilities, the world became awash with VW campers hauling their owners to various beaches and far flung corners of the earth.

The T2 we see here is a later bay window model. Rolling off of the forecourt in May of 1978, the van is believed to have spent some time in the South East of England, before it was purchased by its current owner in late 2013, who has since gone on to commission a great deal of work to have the VW converted into an incredibly high quality campervan, including the installation of a new infamous Dormobile pop top roof, rock and roll bed and leisure batteries/power inverters. 

Paperwork indicates the van was formerly finished in a shade of pink, however under its current ownership, the VW has undergone extensive bodywork repairs and a full respray in a wonderful pale blue and white two tone paint scheme. 

The current owner is now looking to move the camper on to a new loving home.

To say the VW is accompanied by a comprehensive history file, would be something of an understatement. We find a large ring binder, bursting all sorts of paperwork from throughout the T2’s lifetime, front and centre of which are the previous MOT certificates from prior years, and while, being a 1978 model, the VW is MOT and tax exempt, the owner has chosen to still have the vehicle MOT and thus we also find a current MOT certificate valid until January 2023. 

In a further section of the folder sits a large chunk of service history, consisting of various invoices for maintenance and custom work undertaken on the VW from owners both prior and current. The present owner has meticulously listed out and dated all of the work they have had performed on the T2 alongside a cost of each individual job, suggesting a spend somewhere in the region of £25,000 in custom and maintenance work. 

There are also various warranty documents for bits of kit installed in the camper and of course, the all important V5 registration document is present with the vehicle.

Now, we get to the party piece of any camper van, the interior. It’s safe to say that there isn’t a great deal that's gone untouched here. Opening the sliding door reveals a smart checkerboard style floor on top of which sits a smart, well upholstered bench seat that can fold into a “rock and roll” style bed within the rear storage section. The seat base forms a neat cabinet, within which sits the upgraded leisure battery and power inverter system, alongside this is a pair of upgraded speakers and a dual household plug and cigarette lighter connection. 

With the term versatility coming to mind, the cabin of the T2 can be rearranged into various forms to provide more or less seating and space at the request of the user. In addition to the bench seat, two fold out seats, matching in their brown fabric upholstery, can be unlatched and fixed into position within the rear space alongside a portable table, sculpted into the shape of a surfboard which can be secured into the cabin floor. 

From the drivers section, we are presented with a simplistic black dash piece, the plastic of which is in great shape and distinctly lacking in wear or colour fading. Housed within the dash, is a collection of neat switchgear and gauges, all presenting in good order. Here we also find the upgraded radio head unit and two brown fabric seats. All of the seating, front and rear, is in remarkably good shape, free from the large rips and tears often found on these pieces, 

At the sides we find excellent brown fitted door/wall panels, lining the entirety of the cabin and, up front, housing neat black door furniture and speakers. The material itself is in a great shape and lacks wear, courtesy of replacement circa 2014. Users will be happy to know that a “noise killer” acoustics sound deadening kit has also been fitted to further improve conditions inside the camper. 

The bay window T2’s have always been famed for their increased interior space over the earlier variants, however for those who want a bit more from their camper, the only way is up! Many companies took advantage of the VW’s popularity as a camper to create pop top roofs to increase interior space and sleeping capacity when parked. Arguably the most famous outfit creating these pop tops is Dormobile, distinct from others courtesy of the top mounted windows, Dormobile is an absolute authority on these, and thus it is great to report that this particular T2 has a Dormobile pop top roof.

With a replacement roof and roof seals being fitted by the company in August of 2020 at a cost of nearly £3000, the pop top is unsurprisingly in exemplary condition and can be unlatched and opened up in just a matter of seconds, completely revolutionising the space inside the van.

Is there a more instantly recognizable shape than the Volkswagen T2? The simplistic design stands out wherever it may be, especially when sporting the infamous two 

tone paint job like this example. Certainly an improvement over the former pink hue this T2 sat in, the new pale blue and white paint scheme looks marvellous. Not long after purchase in 2013, the VW was stripped to bare metal, at which point any rust or bodywork imperfections were rectified before the new paint was applied. As a result the camper sits in wonderfully clean and straight shape, the still fresh paint exudes a wonderful shine and lacks the common wear and blemishes found on the VW’s of this age. 

Front and rear are a set of white painted factory rounded bumpers, both presenting in good order, there is unfortunately a minor dent to be seen on the rear bumper. The minor lashings of trim dotted around the vehicle are in great shape and have been finished in a matching white paint scheme. 

The T2 sits on four excellent steel wheels, also finished in white and neatly detailed with factory chrome hubcaps with a fifth spare wheel housed within the rear storage section. The wheels all present in excellent condition as does the chrome on the hubcaps.

Of course an equally iconic feature of the T2 is housed in the rear, the truly wondrous air cooled engine. Famed for its simplicity and ease of maintenance the 1.6 litre 4 cylinder is something of a mechanical marvel and a large factor in the popularity of the VW T2s. 

As a result of rough running, this T2 was treated to a new reconditioned engine in 2015. The gasket seals and belts were changed on the motor prior to install and around 2019, the replacement engine was treated to a retune and the addition of a Bosch 009 distributor. It therefore comes as no shock to report that the VW fires into life with absolute ease, settling into a comfortable idle, the iconic aircooled engine note rumbling from the rear exhaust. 

Opening the rear decklid to one will notice the addition of a fire suppression system, no doubt a welcome sight for any classic owner, especially on a vehicle equipped for long distance journeys such as the camper. Hidden neatly within this is an electrical hookup point ideal for use on campsites. 

Often a worry for classic VW owners, it is great to see this particular camper is in incredibly solid shape, distinctly lacking in rust as the vehicle was treated to extensive rust protection at the time of its respray.

Day by day these VW campers become more and more sought after. It is becoming all the more difficult to find good quality examples, especially solid rust free ones. It is therefore a welcome sight to see this wonderful T2 come up for auction. Boasting highly extensive mechanical reconditioning, a full respray and rust treatment and a new Dormobile pop top roof, this camper is certainly a special one. 

Courtesy of regular maintenance and consistent MOT tests, one can use this T2 with the confidence and reassurance that it will take them to whatever part of the world you can dream of.