It could just be the most unusual union in automotive history – Volkswagen has teamed up with legendary British Rock outfit, The Who, in a bid to bring back the firm’s iconic Camper van
While the spirit of the Camper is still evident in such contemporary models as the recently launch California, it is the back-to-basics, low cost essence of the old Type 2 van that the company wishes to capture with its latest project.
The Who – which used a Camper in its early years – performed in front of 40 000 fans at the vehicle’s recent 60th birthday celebrations in Hanover, Germany. Immediately after the show, the group spent time with top VW executives from Germany and the UK, where guitarist Pete Townshend revealed that he still had an old Camper van parked amongst his collection of cars at home. It has been widely suggested that the band’s classic hit “Magic Bus” could be used in upcoming promotional material for the new model.
Volkswagen did attempt to revive the Camper with the Detroit unveiling of its Microbus concept car back in 2001. Penned by the company’s California Design Studio, this retro-flavoured concept was enthusiastically received at the Tokyo, Frankfurt and Geneva Shows shortly thereafter. Former Volkswagen AG chairman, Bernd Pischetsrieder, had intended to bring the concept into production in two forms – a large luxury version for the US and a more compact basic model for other market. The project was shelved as a result of the model being too expensive to gain wider appeal, but it now appears that the latter (more basic) model is more likely to come to fruition.
As with the previous concept, the redesigned version will have an unashamedly retro look. The new car will, however, sport a stripped-out, minimalist interior in an attempt to reduce costs and make the vehicle more accessible to w wider audience. Consequently, such features as the electrically-powered sliding doors and Xenon strip headlamps will not find their way across from the previous concept.
According to sources from Volkswagen, the new Camper is likely to be built in the US, and will be badged “Bulli” – a colloquial name for the old Type 2 in Germany, that the company has only recently registered to itself.
The old Camper van was a big seller, and to make financial sense the new model will need to follow suit. Company bosses have admitted that the firm would need to sell at least 100 000 units annually to make the project viable
