Good summer-loving news for hippies of all ages - Volkswagen camper van is making a comeback, reveals RAY MASSEY
Good summer-loving news for hippies of all ages — the Volkswagen camper van is making a comeback.
After many false dawns, VW bosses have confirmed their Microbus really is to return reinvented for the 21st century — as a ‘green’ electric vehicle.
Nostalgics will remember that the original Type 2 rear-engined camper-van — built from the Fifties until 1979, but continued in Brazil until 2013 — was a favourite with beach boys and girls in the flower-power era and beyond, with many still on the road today.
Vintage...with a twist: VW’s proposed relaunched battery-powered camper van
The new high-tech, but retro-styled, eight-seater battery-powered version — working title ID Buzz — will feature variable seating, wi-fi and semi-autonomous driving. It even comes with a mini Buddha on the dashboard.
The Buzz will go on sale across Europe, the U.S. and China from 2022. There’ll also be minibus and cargo versions.
But, given its likely popularity, I wouldn’t rule out petrol or hybrid editions.
The Buzz will go on sale across Europe, the U.S. and China from 2022. There’ll also be minibus and cargo versions.
VW bosses said they decided on the relaunch following feedback from fans after the van’s unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show in January.
I have fond memories of touring Europe as a child in a bright-orange VW camper van. I used to sleep tucked up on a bunk or a table-turned-bed.
For others, their experience may have been as students or young adults exploring the world and having adventures — from swimming off the Australian coast, to driving down California’s Pacific Highway 1, or on a road trip across India or Asia.
Won’t be long before we can all again shout: ‘Surf’s up!’
Happy campers!
BMW takes wraps off next generation Z4 roadster
And the open-topped two-seater beauty looks to be a serious head-turner.
A production version of the prototype shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California is set to hit the road next year after making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. It will be priced around £30,000.
Fast and furious: A production version of the prototype is set to hit the road next year
Ahead of the new September ‘67’ plate, Ford has become the latest company to announce a cash-for-scrappage scheme — including £2,000 off a Fiesta and £4,950 off a new Focus.
The likes of Vauxhall, BMW and Mercedes-Benz already have such schemes. But with diesel sales diving, Ford is offering a minimum £2,000 discount on new models for owners of pre-Euro 5 petrol and diesel cars from any brand — not just Ford — who scrap their old car and replace it with a new Euro 6 model.
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