This bus was very well equipped from new, with a great number of Westfalia options. Doors and panels fit to factory specs which are consistent and return that solid feel of a properly aligned and unmolested shell. Chrome is limited to the hubcaps and some bits of trim, which all appears in very good condition. The paintwork is beautifully executed and the original body panels are remarkably straight. The only modification made was the addition of Velvet Green paintwork below the feature line, a correct VW color in a factory correct pattern that highlights the delightful lines of the T1. When the most recent owner acquired it 20 years ago, he continued to enjoy it carefully. As a result, it has survived in staggeringly original condition, having never been rotted or rusty. It was reportedly stored on planks in a dirt-floor garage when not in use, and was never used in the harsh Wisconsin winters. Gutowsky of Glendale, WI, used the camper regularly but took incredibly fastidious care of it. Originally sold via Fred Howe Motors, Inc of Brookfield, Wisconsin, this bus lived a charmed life from day one. This fabulous Westy comes to us from a long-term owner who purchased it from the original owner over 20 years ago. From the final year of split window T1 production before the “bay window” T2 was introduced, it benefits from all of VW’s continuous refinements over the course of production. We are very pleased to offer this truly delightful and amazingly original 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 T1 with the Westfalia SO 42 camper package. Hippie culture in the 1960s and 1970s popularized these quirky little vehicles, and today’s enthusiasts covet the VW “Westy” for its incredible practicality, period charm and its status as a cultural icon. Westfalia offered numerous fittings to outfit a camper van for everyone from the casual weekender to the serious cross-country traveler. The pop-top became the hallmark of Westfalia for decades to come, particularly on the hugely popular T2 vans of the 1970s. As early as 1951, VW contracted with Westfalia-Werke of Germany to convert Transporters into recreational camper vans. By 1966, when our featured example was built, the engine had grown to 1, 493 cc and power had more than doubled to 54 bhp. Unsurprisingly, the anemic 1, 131 cc engine was enlarged multiple times over the course of production to keep up with customer demand for more power. The earliest versions were powered by a 24 horsepower, 1, 131 cc air-cooled flat four shared with the Beetle. Like the Beetle before it, the Transporter was brilliant in its simplicity and versatility. Volkswagen followed the smashing success of the Type 1 Beetle with a basic and practical commercial vehicle that cleverly utilized much of the Beetle’s mechanical make up.
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