VW Bus


Book Description

Is there any job that the VW bus hasn''t done? Fire engine, ambulance, snow-plough, mobile home, shop, cement mixer, school bus. The list is endless and although critics call it ugly, many owners and fans know different.'




Volkswagen Bus


Book Description

A unique volume dedicated to three generations of VWs legendary Transporter. Meticulously researched with many model specific photographs reproduced to illustrate a genuinely informative text.




Original VW Bus


Book Description

A comprehensive guide to original factory specification and equipment of VW Split-screen and Bay-window transporters. 265 photographs of 25 vehicles from Germany, the UK and the USA illustrate not only the people carriers but the many variations panel van, pick-up truck, double-cab pick-up and highroof panel van.




The VW Camper Van


Book Description

It was invented immediately after the war, in the factory a far-sighted English military man had set up to turn the German economy from making machines of warfare to more pacific products. By the seventies that dream had been amply fulfilled, as the VW Campervan became the conveyance of choice for West Coast hippies, Australian surf bums and Europeans taking the overland route to find enlightenment and good karma in India. It had also become – indeed, still is – the first choice for any couple, or family, seeking a cheap camping holiday with wheels attached. So never mind the oddly off-centre driving wheel, the vagaries of the aircooled rear engine – the VW Campervan had become more than a vehicle – it had truly become a way of life. Mike Harding’s first ride in a Volkswagen Camper Van was back in 1961, when it was the carrying around the gear and bandmembers of his rock band the Manchester Rainmakers. Finally, in 2009, he could wait no longer, and bought his own, a 2001 Type 2 bay window Brazilian import Danbury conversion in hot orange and off white. Add in the endless curiosity of the author of eight monographs on church architecture, and the hilarious sense of humour of one of Britain’s best stand-up comics, and you have a wonderful social history of the postwar years through the prism of a single transport icon.




Volkswagen Beetles and Buses


Book Description

This illustrated history celebrates the 75th and 70th anniversaries of Volkswagen's two most iconic vehicles, from the first Beetles spearheaded by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1940s to the buses that became synonymous with a generation. Volkswagen is one of the most beloved brands in motoring history, thanks largely to two instantly recognizable vehicles: the Beetle (a.k.a. Bug) and the Bus. More than 23 million VW Beetles have buzzed into the world since 1945, while the VW Bus presaged the minivan by thirty-plus years. Volkswagen: Beetles and Buses examines and celebrates all aspects of the vehicles and the many cultural associations that have swirled around them for more than seven decades. The diminutive rear-engined and easily mass-produced Beetle became the most popular imported car in America during the 1960s. Its success was due to its familiar face, its wildly clever ad campaigns, and the sheer numbers produced. The equally compact yet spacious Bus (a.k.a. Kombi, Microbus, Type 2, Transporter, and simply “van”) has won millions of fans around the world with its practicality, simplicity, and design. In this beautifully illustrated and authoritatively written celebration, author Russell Hayes looks back at the vehicles while focusing on the classic air-cooled VWs that ran into the late 1970s. Along the way, readers witness the Beetle and Bus at work and at play and learn about vehicle development and growing roles in popular culture, including star appearances in films like The Love Bug, Little Miss Sunshine, Footloose, Fight Club, The Big Lebowski, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as well as television shows like Lost and Once Upon a Time and on the covers of the Beatles’ Abbey Road and Bob Dylan’s Freewheelin’ album. The story is brought up to date with coverage of the New Beetle and plans for the VW Buzz, a modern electric version of the iconic Microbus due in 2022. Volkswagen: Beetles and Buses deserves a place in the motoring libraries of VW owners, automotive enthusiasts, and those simply interested in pop culture. It's the ultimate illustrated history of these beloved vehicles.




VW Type 2 Transporter


Book Description

A highly illustrated look at the inside story of the first version of the iconic VW Transporter or ‘Split Screen’.




Volkswagen Bus/Camper/Van Performance Portfolio 1968-1979


Book Description

The original design was inspired by the flatbed vehicles used in the Wolfsburg factory. After initial problems with the cars were solved production of the Kombi and Panel Van began in 1950. Official variations began in the early 1950's and the Type 2 came in almost any shape a buyer wanted. To keep up with demand a new factory was opened in Hanover in 1956 and the millionth type 2 was produced in 1962. By the end of production in 1967 nearly 2 million had been built. This volume deals specifically with VW's Microbus, pick-up, Kombi, Transporter and Landmark models, and includes contemporary road and comparison tests, technical and specification data, touring, variations.




Saving Charlotte


Book Description

"We drove away in an unlicensed car that we did not legally own, complete with a bashed in front end, a badly cracked windshield, and a headlight propped in with duct tape, a tree branch and a piece of foam found lying on the ground. It was not an encouraging way to start our 3,000 mile journey!" Ever dream of buying a one-way airline ticket to purchase a sight-unseen, salvage titled automobile and drive it home 3,000 miles? Join Kat and Ned as they "rescue" Charlotte, an unlicensed, reluctant, but endearing VW Syncro bus who drags her wheels at first, but eventually really gets rolling. Kat and Ned had a vision of building up a Syncro into a cool, capable overland adventure vehicle, dreaming of the advantages of "bus living." But would the dream turn into a nightmare? The adventures and mis-adventures are hilarious, turning a four day drive from Connecticut to Nevada into a two week escapade of mysterious mechanical issues, cop-dodging, heat waves, torrential thunderstorms, missing credit cards, and Mississippi mud baths. Can't get out of Hartford...Can't get out of Buffalo...Can't get out of Elkhart...you can't imagine what can go wrong on a trip like this! Charlotte balks, spits, sputters and lurches but never stalls, while Kat and Ned persevere, finding that, in spite of her VW idiosyncrasies, Charlotte has a truly endearing soul. They also find that their dream of "bus living" has become an addictive reality. "Only in a VW Bus would somebody attempt something like this...and get away with it! What a great story! A must-read not only for the VW Bus crowd-but for the wanna-be's too!" S. Lucas Valdes - GoWesty Campers




The Complete Book of Classic Volkswagens


Book Description

See the entire chronology of air-cooled Volkswagens in The Complete Book of Classic Volkswagens, a beautifully illustrated overview of one of the oldest and best-known foreign car brands in America.




VW Transporter and Microbus


Book Description

The popularity of the VW Transporter, in particular the early Split Screen models, continues to grow and it has become a cult icon. This publication brings together, for the first time, the complete history of the Split Screen Transporter from 1950 - 1967. Topics covered include: Transporter history; Explanation of every vehicle code; Transporter production details; Month-by-month specification changes; Full listing of factory-fitted optional equipment; Comprehensive guide to paint and trim colors; Details of Transporter export and Transporters built outside Germany; and Information on Special Models. Bus enthusiasts world-wide have shared their knowledge in the compilation of this unique publication, which has taken five years to collate.