VW bus sale

This should bring a smile to one of our members....;>)

I was reading the Market Letter at lunch yesterday and saw that a 1962 VW 21 window bus sold for $110K at the Palm Beach, Barrett-Jackson sale in April. It was described as a condition 2, rare walk-through, Samba bus. I am not familiar with the term "walk-through". Does that mean doors on both sides? Maybe the second seat is split so that it is possible to "walk-through" to the third seat?

Impressive price!!

 

Wow! Similar to the one posted in the Silver thread on cool cars

 

walk through is when the front seat is not a bench and there is no barrier from the driver's compartment into the passenger's compartment.

Also 100K is the most ridiculous price i've heard of to pay for any VW bus that does not have some sort of history associated with it.

 

pic.
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True that models with some interesting history command crazy money or...... [arm pump] ones created on the first day of a model change over!!!!!!yesssssssssss

 

So are you selling????

 

Hi James

Thanks very much for the explanation and the picture. "Another day older and deeper in debt", but I did learn something....;>)

Aloha
Larry

 

Kevin, do you still have your bus? What are the plans with it? You mentioned an exchange with a 328, but I don't see you on the 308/328 section often.... Greetings from Belgium!

By the way: we are expecting our first baby! So I might wanna change my 308 for that bus

 

Kris I knew you guys were expecting. Congrats! I am still plodding along getting the bus ready for the sales campaign. Need to do a full photo shoot and video but the weather and the summer blitz of my kids schedules has slowed me down.


rdefabri, to answer... yes. If you are in the market for a professionally uber-restored 67 VW 21 window, walkthrough, by all means PM me.

 

The focus on an older F car has faded so I stopped posting on the 308/328 forum. I have entered into a new un-focused phase. Seems the longer I wait the more cash I am able to squirrel away which opens up my choices and makes me start the whole DD thing over again. It's laughable really.

If you want to ***** slap me after reading this believe me I understand I want to also! Good problems to have I suppose, it could be worse!

 

Not at $110K!!!

Actually, not in the market for anything at the moment

 

I haven't forgot about you we did exchange some PMs last year about your bus. I'm going to be in your area this November.....

 

I just saw the replay of this auction on the speed channel.
The bus looked flawless but for 197K???
There was a perfect AAR Cuda up next and it went for 63K
I rather have the Cuda for a quarter od the price.

 

It would be closer to 1/3 of the price....3X63= 189 vrs 4x63= 249.....I personally would rather have a 1969 Dodge Daytona Charger for 197k......Mark

 

There are some interesting posts on the main VW site about the sale as well.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=469295&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

If you cant bear to click I am providing an interesting one that makes for good discussion. You will have to read through 9 pages to get to it. The guy is talking about how someone could pay 200K for a bus.

"The idea of driving a Ferrari or high end Porsche or Mercedes seems really interesting to some aspirational people... and they are nice to drive I suppose... except that you look like a rich ass... and get treated as such. This isn't any fun. I drove a very nice newer 911 for a while that I paid 27k for... and people assumed I was ****** and treated me as such on the road.

Try entering a crowded freeway from the onramp and you will not be given any room... because everyone assumes you are the Porsche dick. No fun at all.

The same thing goes on the blvd. It is actually pretty embarrassing to drive around in a fancy Porsche these days. Maybe in the 1980's they were cool... I don't know.

Now... Contrast this with driving a Microbus. Nobody on the street knows how much they are worth... they just love them. try getting on the freeway and most everyone will make room for you. Sure they might be mad at you if you are slow on the hills... but only in a sort of nostalgic... "oh look honey at the old vw... isn't that quaint" sort of way. On the Blvd... people will wave and your car will make them happy... and they will want to stop and talk to you and tell you about the time that they... etc etc.

That same ass that used to drive the Porsche now knows a lot of people that got really hurt over the past few years in the Markets... or lost their house etc. A certain percentage of these wealthy individuals don't want to look wealthy. They would rather just look cool in a different way.

Basically... it isn't cool look rich anymore. It is cool to be low key. It is cool to donate your time to Non Profits. It is cool to help out at the local College. It is cool to ride your bike. It is cool to have a garden and grow your own vegetables.

Nobody gives a crap about Ralph Lauren, or Ferrari, or Maserati etc. anymore. If you do see some idiot in a new Italian supercar... you assume he is some foreign born russian or whatever that really is kind of out of the loop. Like they are riding in the caboose of the train and didn't see the engine crash back there.

I think this is what is driving and will continue to drive the VW Prices. VW's from the 1960's and 1950's evoke a kind of simple nostalgia that cannot be exactly named. To drive an old VW gives you an air of honesty and simplicity and shows that your are bigger than your ego.

In a nutshell... the ego is not a good thing anymore... and this is fantastic. So big giant houses, big fancy cars etc are out.

In their place are smaller homes... maybe in the center of town rather than out on acreage... and cars that don't yell about how big your... ehem... ego is.

Microbusses are the epitome of this. It is a reverse status if you will.

Eco has replaced ego. Mind you... this whole eco thing is just as egotistical as egotism was... especially with the prius set. But at least it is a step in the right direction. I would much rather see somebody driving a micro than a ferrari. Even if they paid too much for it... I am still going to assume that deep inside they are probably a fairly centered person... and they are probably pretty interesting and I might enjoy talking with them. I can't say this about the Lamborghini drivers."