Words: John Mayhead
Firstly, full disclosure: I have skin in this game. Readers of previous Hagerty Drivers Club newsletters will probably know that I’ve been the owner of a 1970 Volkswagen Westfalia Campmobile for the past 13 years. In that time, ‘Bessie’ has taken me and my family on various camping trips, beach excursions and even to the rarified turf of the Cartier Style et Luxe concours lawn at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. So, I’m convinced of the huge utility of these historic vehicles: a true family classic that attracts the very kindest attention wherever she goes and, almost uniquely amongst cars of her age, is still fulfilling the very role she was built for.
My experience of ownership, long journeys and short, gives me a good view of the strengths and weaknesses of these versatile vehicles. To be honest, most of the ‘weaknesses’ are just a product of her age and original design: the original 1600cc, single Solex carburettor air-cooled engine struggled, especially on hot days, the drum brakes tend to slow rather than stop in the manner we’ve come to expect these days and the bodies attract rust, especially with an underside full of nooks and crannies that attract dirt and moisture. The good news is that all of these can be rectified, and on many campers have already been fixed: Bessie now has a slightly enhanced twin-Weber-fed engine that gives her much more grunt, she had Wilwood twin-pot disc brakes hidden beneath the elegant original steel front wheels and the rust – well, I just try to keep on top of that; she’s currently in to have the bottom of her c-pillars replaced.
But the glory of these vehicles is their extraordinary ability to do so much, really well. Bessie is fitted with the original Westfalia ‘Oslo’ interior: a small wardrobe/ cupboard unit if flanked by a double, fold-out ‘rock & roll’ bed, under which there is more storage. There’s a twin front bench seat next to the drivers and space beneath both for spare wheel, tools, and all the usual junk that accumulates in a camper van. The pop-top has a wooden deck offering space for a child to sleep, a replacement for the original metal ‘stretcher’ that looks more like a torture device than a place to rest, and there’s a hammock that fits over the front seats for the very young; we have managed to sleep five in here in the past, and all the seats are belted. When we’re static, there’s a fold-out table of good size, and we have the original stool and sink/cooler unit, although these are usually left at home as they take up valuable space for more junk. Behind the pop-top, there’s a built-in roofrack for yet more stuff. I often use her as a mobile office in the summer, driving down to the local beach car park and tapping away at my computer as I look out of the big rear window across the sea, and there’s a pop-in mosquito net if you want to leave the rear hatch open. She’s also surprisingly large inside: last year, I test drove a new short-wheelbase Volkswagen ID Buzz for a week and was annoyed by the poor use of internal space: it couldn’t even fit a standard 8’ x 4’ sheet of plasterboard. Bessie, with her cupboard unit removed, could.
Anyway, the reason for talking about these vans now is that today may be a good time to buy: spring and early summer sees many come on the market and gives buyers the whole season to enjoy their new vehicle. Plus, prices have softened over recent years following the Covid-19 boom that pushed values upwards as people preferred holidaying at home: all versions, from the earliest ‘barn door’ splitscreen vans to the 1980s (T3/ T25) Transporters have, in general, reduced in price over the period.
There’s also something for most pockets. Early ‘split-screen’ busses tend to still demand the highest values, and the general rule is that the more windows it emerged from the factory with, the more valuable it will be: the 23-window ‘Samba’ vans are the most collectable and the public auction record was set for the model in Paris at Artcurial’s October 2022 sale when one achieved €192,853, way over its €50,000 to €70,000 estimate. The ‘Bay Window’ vans (1968 – 1979… although some were built in Brazil until 2013) are more mechanically advanced and retain the charm of the early busses, especially the ‘early bays’ built between 1968 and 1971 and they tend to achieve higher prices than ‘Late Bays’ as a result. Original camper vans like Bessie, taken from the Wolfsburg production line and fitted out by Westfalia, are very rare and therefore collectable, and most campers have been converted at some point later in their lives by companies such as Devon, Danbury and Dormer. T25 (also known as T3) vans from 1979 tend to be cheaper still and offer an entry route into aircooled Volkswagen camper ownership and part of a thriving scene, as anyone who has experienced one of the events like the annual Classics at the Clubhouse will attest.
The outlook for aircooled Volkswagen camper vans is stable; there will seemingly always be someone who loves the combination of practicality, style, simplicity and cheap parts and will want ownership of a true family classic. For those, customisation isn’t a problem and can often reinforce the value but for collectors, factory-correct spec is highly important, especially with the rarer models. Equipment too can really affect value: good quality Westfalia interiors and furniture changes hands for significant sums. Find a sorted, well-equipped van that suits your needs, and it is likely to retain its value and give you a lot of fun.
Own a classic Volkswagen Type 2 Camper or have memories of road trips, restorations or festivals in an air-cooled bus? We’d love to hear them in the comments below.
Insure your classic with a specialist insurer
If you’re looking for cover for your pride and joy, why not consider Hagerty UK? Not only are we classic car insurance specialists, but we are enthusiasts at heart. Call us for a quote on 0333 323 1138.
