Anyone growing up in the US when the VW Microbus was new remembers it as a ubiquitous choice of adventurous hippies and surfers. Songs referencing VW’s “Combi” abound, with C.W. McCall’s cornball “Convoy” from 1976 describing a highway train of big rigs followed by “eleven long-haired Friends a’ Jesus in a chartreuse micra-bus.” The reality is that these lovable boxes did their jobs well, if slowly, and over the years, adventurous customizers have transplanted everything from Porsche engines to small-block V-8s into these classic vehicles in an attempt to crest inclines at more than a tortoise’s pace.
Few of them, though, are turned out like the one featured in the Worldwide Auctioneers sale on Saturday, April 29 at its headquarters in Auburn, Ind. There, the Enthusiast Auction will feature a 1967 Volkswagen Deluxe Samba 21-Window Microbus that brings together all the historic charm of the original with a restomod approach to drivability and performance.
To put some perspective on Volkswagen’s bewildering number of Microbus model variants since 1950, it’s important to know that the hierarchy is topped by the Deluxe Samba series, featuring 21 roof-mounted windows (or 23, adding a curved window in each rear corner) that make the Deluxe Samba the most desirable of the collectible buses today. Purists are aware that the wider rear door, introduced in 1964, meant eliminating the two rear-corner windows, resulting in the 21-window version, as in this example from the last year of production.
Period-correct restorations of these Sambas, much in demand and highly prized, are often six-figure collectibles. But at their finest, they usually remain anemic as far as output and are best enjoyed on a leisurely drive or, more realistically, as a static sculpture recalling a more bucolic, patchouli-oil-scented past.
Not so this example. “This is one cool outlaw,” says Rod Eagan, principal and chief auctioneer of Worldwide. “A lot of care and energy went into this restoration. It’s got the factory original colors, the rare sunroof, seldom-seen walk-through front seats, and it’s immaculate. Not to mention my favorite upgrade, a Porsche 911 engine. This is the restomod of VW buses.”
A full restoration, completed in 2022, brought the vehicle back to as-new condition, but with a few tricks up its sleeve. Instead of Volkswagen’s original 53 hp flat-four engine that powered the original, an upgraded 2.4-liter flat-six from a 1973 Porsche 911 E has been transplanted, featuring mechanical fuel injection with new Bosch injectors. Originally rated at 165 bhp, this one’s been mated to a Volkswagen transaxle rebuilt by Arizona Buggy Company to accommodate up to 300 hp.
Proper front disc brakes and an enhanced suspension are fitted to complement the more powerful drivetrain, while a full instrument panel in the upper air-vent center keeps the driver apprised of engine behavior. The only hint that something more muscular might be lurking beneath the skin are the meticulously restored 15-inch Porsche Fuchs wheels dressed in era-correct Vredestein tires.
Delivered new to Los Angeles, Calif., this Type II 21-Window Deluxe wears its original two-tone colors of L555 Tizian Red and L472 Beige-Grey. Inside, all is familiar to a Microbus fancier, where original-style 70 Mesh Platinum upholstery and gray vinyl trim contrast beautifully with steel surfaces finished in L472 Beige-Grey. And even the chrome buckles of the many red seat belts are embellished with Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg crest.
This fresh-to-market restomod is accompanied by a copy of the original Volkswagen Birth Certificate from the marque’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, a Porsche 911 owner’s workshop manual, and documentation supporting the restoration and service. An estimate for the vehicle is available on request through Worldwide Auctioneers.
Click here for more photos of this 1967 VW Microbus restomod.
