1972 Volkswagen T2 Camper

26 Bids
8:16 PM, 02 Jul 2021Vehicle sold
Sold for

£13,750

Background

With some now put off by the thought of overseas holidays, sales of motorhomes, boats and camper vans are now booming. It is easy to understand why. Load up your chattels, head to the countryside or coast, explore new places and when you’ve had enough, park up for the night and relax.

Campers come in all shapes and sizes but for most, a Volkswagen camper van has always been the iconic image. There is a kind of classless appeal about them, with owners ranging from surfing dudes and young families to retired couples reliving their youth.

You can still buy a factory-made California from the good folks at VW, but you’ll need very deep pockets. And it's not as cool as this one.

This golden oldie is a second-generation Type 2 (T2). Following on from the successful ‘splittie’ (so called because of it’s split front windscreen), the T2 (or Bay, another windscreen reference) boasted more modern 12-volt electrics.

Other notable improvements included updated suspension, better brakes and more powerful engines.

The driving experience is decidedly old-school, the T2 being happiest pottering along quiet country lanes, unhurried, relaxed, knowing that it’s not always the destination that is important, more the journey.

So, if you're looking for that laid-back vibe and fancy joining in with the fun, we may just have the perfect vehicle for you.

  • 2222101943
  • 97358
  • 1584
  • Manual
  • Brown
  • Cream
  • Right-hand drive

Vehicle location
Bonhams|Cars Online HQ, United Kingdom

Background

With some now put off by the thought of overseas holidays, sales of motorhomes, boats and camper vans are now booming. It is easy to understand why. Load up your chattels, head to the countryside or coast, explore new places and when you’ve had enough, park up for the night and relax.

Campers come in all shapes and sizes but for most, a Volkswagen camper van has always been the iconic image. There is a kind of classless appeal about them, with owners ranging from surfing dudes and young families to retired couples reliving their youth.

You can still buy a factory-made California from the good folks at VW, but you’ll need very deep pockets. And it's not as cool as this one.

This golden oldie is a second-generation Type 2 (T2). Following on from the successful ‘splittie’ (so called because of it’s split front windscreen), the T2 (or Bay, another windscreen reference) boasted more modern 12-volt electrics.

Other notable improvements included updated suspension, better brakes and more powerful engines.

The driving experience is decidedly old-school, the T2 being happiest pottering along quiet country lanes, unhurried, relaxed, knowing that it’s not always the destination that is important, more the journey.

So, if you're looking for that laid-back vibe and fancy joining in with the fun, we may just have the perfect vehicle for you.

Video

Overview

We are delighted to be able to offer for sale a prime example of the Volkswagen T2 camper. Resplendent in retro beige, it boasts a well-designed interior with fittings which look as though they have never been used.

The elevating roof can be raised easily by one person, making this an ideal day excursion vehicle too. Park up, raise the roof, pop the kettle on and relax…. Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

The history indicates that there was rejuvenation of the bodywork back in 2017 and at MoT time that year, the T2 had no interior fitted.  It certainly looks like a good example of one of these. Although it doesn't have to have an MoT it is often a good idea to get one, as it's a good sign of basic road worthyness.

Our test drive confirms that a 45/50mph cruising speed is just about right. The gear box is just like all the other T2's we've driven, although it popped out of 4th a couple of time during our test drive, the 1970s brakes work as they should and the steering is the same. The carburettor could probably do with tuning, as it sometimes cuts out if idle. If you've never driven one of these you should: you are sat atop the front wheels and it's an experience that is part of the charm and character of the T2.

Exterior

The beige paintwork is in reasonable order, maybe an older respray. There are a couple of areas of scratches etc., visible in the photographs in the gallery.

There is a small scrape on the nearside rear panel, just in front of the bumper. Apart from a couple of small rust spot - what you'd expect - the panels look quite straight.

If we're being picky, there is a small dent in the bottom of the sliding door too.

The white painted wheels look in fair condition too.

The spare wheel mounted on the front has a cover that you may wish to replace as it's a wee bit tatty. There are lots of companies who can make something bespoke.

There’s plenty of lovely chrome dotted about the exterior, which looks like it could be improved with some simple elbow grease and chrome polish.

The simple, white, elevating roof pops up with ease and shows no sign of damaage that we can see.


Interior

We believe the interior was refitted in the last few years, and what a good job they did too.

There’s plenty of storage space, ideal if you are to spend time away from home. The more serious camper is likely to purchase a small trailer into which you can pop additional bits and bobs, such a small toilet tent or maybe even an awning.

The two-burner hob and sink combo look to be unused and below them sits a small fridge.

The cream upholstery looks very smart with blue piping, the one splash of colour in an otherwise plain interior.

The rear seat converts into a double bed for those intimate nights away… There are curtains to keep out prying eyes.

Up front, it’s the classic no frills cockpit. Iconic instrumentation, steering wheel, gear-lever and rather wonderfully, not much else.

The radio needs some minor attention to secure it in its rightful slot.

Mechanical

Amongst the history with the T2 are bills for outrigger, sills and a front wheel arch. These date from 2017, the time when we assume the vehicle underwent some considerable renovation.

Spend a little time looking at the photographs of the van’s underside. There's evidence of work carried and there’s plenty of underseal. You should try and visit us to inspect it in detail.

We can also report that a new exhaust was fitted in 2017.

History

We often see vast piles of paperwork with 40-year-old vehicles that we auction, but we do not have a great deal with this camper. That doesn't mean anything, other than the previous owners weren't very dilligent at admin.

The bodywork expenditure we have already mentioned, but we have little else to mention other than the MoT history.

The T2 was last tested in 2017 and has covered less than a thousand miles since.

Summary

This golden oldie offers the opportunity for carefree days out and holidays. The lovely interior should prove to be a delight to use.

There are a few jobs we would wish to attend to if it were ours, but there’s fun to be had fine tuning this delightful German legend.

So, if you fancy roaming free this summer, get bidding right away.

We estimate the T2 will sell for between £13,000 and £18,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’

About this auction

Seller

Private: james harvey


Viewings Welcome

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and is strictly by appointment. To book one in the diary, please get in contact.

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