The Original Volkswagen Bus Still Makes Any Collector a Happy Camper

Along with the once-ubiquitous VW Type 1, affectionately known as the Beetle, the VW Type 2— microbus, camper, Kombi, or whatever you want to call it—is the other face of the original Volkswagen marque. The sheer variety of model variants makes for a fascinating study, and of the six generations built from 1949 through 2024 (not including the latest EV, the I.D. Buzz), it’s the first-generation Type 2, made from 1950 through 1967 and rather confusingly called the T1, that is the quintessential classic microbus.

During the T1 era, VW made everything from fire-brigade pickup trucks to the most collectible of them all, the Deluxe Samba. Throughout the 1950s, Volkswagen’s Type 2 microbus was hardly a collectible, but rather a tradesman’s workhorse, or a wholesome weekend motel on wheels for families camping mostly across Europe and North America. By the later-1960s, it had become the first choice of adventurous hippies and surfers.

The reality is that, for most intents and purposes, these lovable boxes did their jobs well—if slowly. So, over the years, adventurous customizers have transplanted everything from Porsche engines to small-block V-8s into the model in an attempt to crest inclines at more than a snail’s pace.

In VW’s original Type 2, the driver sits bolt upright, shuffle-steering the near-horizontal wheel while shifting all four gears with a lever that feels like stirring a bucket of glue with a walking stick. Like Aesop’s proverbial tortoise, the steady-as-she-goes VW chugs along with its rear-mounted, air-cooled, flat-four engine, which by 1966 had grown to a 1,500 cc mill that’s capable of about 54 hp.

The T2 is the second-generation successor, made from 1967 through 1979, and is easily distinguished by a single, curved front windshield, instead of the two-paned split window of the T1. While more affordable ($15,000 to $50,000), these next-generation models are less collectible than the original T1, but afford much the same experience. The Transporter Westfalia Camper versions are especially popular, outfitted with any number of clever amenities for weekend wanderers.

To gain perspective on Volkswagen’s bewildering number of bus variants made since 1950, it’s important to know that the hierarchy is topped by the Deluxe Samba. The original Samba series was distinguished by 23 roof-mounted windows that make it the most desirable of the buses today. The wider rear door, introduced in 1964, meant eliminating the two rear-corner windows, resulting in the 21-window version for the last year of production. 

A properly turned-out Deluxe Samba is a delightful thing, with an example in good condition worth $100,000, and one in concours condition stunningly valued at up to $250,000. But at their finest, these anemic classics are best enjoyed on a leisurely drive or, more realistically, as a static sculpture on a concours lawn, recalling a more bucolic past.

Most folks in search of a first-gen VW Type 2 will have more earthbound aspirations, and in truth, can have more fun enjoying a lesser variant for $30,000 to $80,000—a fraction of the price of a Deluxe Samba. Making allowances for sensible upgrades to the engine, the suspension, the brakes, and interior amenities can enhance practicality and enjoyment. After all, every VW bus is a canvas for self-expression, an enduring cultural artifact to be celebrated from the slow lane.

Click here for more photos of this 1960 Volkswagen Deluxe Samba “23-Window” Microbus.