1959 Volkswagen Split-Screen Pickup

What we have here is a left-hand-drive, ex-California, split-screen VW Transporter Type 2 pickup. First registered in 1959, it spent the first 60 years of its life out there - including 25 years stored in a barn – facts that help explain its amazing condition.

And it is amazingly well preserved; the vendor’s brother lives on the US West Coast, and after buying it he simply filled the fuel tank with fresh petrol and popped a new battery on – and it started straight away; clearly, VW’s legendary reliability is anything but a myth.

It was very straight and solid when it arrived in the UK at the beginning of last year – but that didn’t stop the vendor stripping it down and restoring it from the ground up. The result is one of the most stunning T2 pickups we’ve ever seen. Still running the original 6-volt electrical system and 1200cc engine.

It’s now ready to be put to work, taken around the show circuit or converted into anything the new owner might dream up - it’s such a versatile vehicle.

It helped that the Transporter was in such good shape before he started but you don’t get a vehicle looking this good without expending a huge amount of time and money.

Which is exactly what the vendor did. The rear wheel arches had previously been modified so he replaced them with the correct ones. It was also fitted with a new front panel plus new jacking points, and an inner and outer sill. The rest of the panels, including the floors, were all good and were left alone bar cleaning them up.

Someone had repainted it in Pearl White at some point in its life, a period-correct colour that most of us think suits the VW better than the blue it left the factory with. They’d clearly done a proper job as even areas like the engine bay had been changed, so the vendor re-did it in the same colour.

We don’t have a figure for what the work cost but no matter, it was worth every penny because it looks absolutely sensational; VW build quality was good, even back in the day, but the shutlines and panel alignment are probably even better now than they managed in the fifties.

The paint is probably better than the factory applied, too. Glossy and even, it shows off the quality and condition of the panels brilliantly.

The front and rear bumpers, complete with overriders, are painted in pure white, a colour that simultaneously contrasts and complements the Pearl White body colour.

The inside of the load bed is painted in a black stone guard, a colour that works well but also shows up its dents and dinks. The sides fold down and can then be removed, a feature that dramatically increases the pickup’s versatility. There are also huge storage lockers under the rear body; this might be an unusually elegant example of the breed but it remains a working vehicle at heart.

The 15-inch steel wheels are painted the same colour as the body. Fitted with chromed VW hubcaps, they wear matching 205/75R15 Marshall Touring M&S tyres, all of which still look like new.

Problems? Well, that depends on your attitude towards patination. As we mentioned earlier, the load bed is a little dented and dinged. Also, the hubcaps and some of the other chromework is pitted and lightly rusted and the bumpers have a few marks on them, including some cracks in the finish on the overriders.

But, none of this really matters and could easily be dealt with if any of it bothers you.

While the bodywork wowed us, the interior is, if anything, even better. A symphony of vibrancy and charm, the combination of red upholstery and Pearl White paint works as well now as it would have done in late fifties America.

The interior design is simplistic in the extreme. The bus-like steering wheel, for example, is beautifully painted and bejewelled with a red circular trim on the hub. The original radio is still fitted in the dashboard; with slightly patinated knobs and buttons and its presence adds considerably to the overall ambience.

The red theme the steering wheel picked up is echoed in the seats. In great shape, they are supported by matching twin headlinings, the bulkhead trim, and the door cards. A large fitted black rubber mat covers the (solid) painted metal floor.

Lovely details abound, like the roof-mounted vents that draw fresh air in from the outside via a cowl that sits above the split-screen windscreen. Or the chromed door handles and pulls. Or the wand-like gearchange.

Faults? Well, the new owner might like to consider having the bezel on the speedometer and the rear-view mirror re-chromed as they are a little pitted - and the seat frames could do with being painted as they’re a little rusty. But otherwise, it’s very good.

As we mentioned earlier, the vendor’s brother started it over in the ‘States with nothing other than a new battery and fresh fuel. Back here in the UK, the vendor further fettled it by flushing the fuel tank out and fitting new fuel lines and cleaning the carburettor. He also serviced the ignition system with new spark plugs, a coil, points, condenser, and a distributor cap.

Why hasn’t he done more? Well, it simply doesn’t need it. The compression readings across all four cylinders were good when he tested them, which indicates that the engine is almost certainly in good health. We’ve also driven it and can confirm that it starts and runs well.

That said, a turn-key 1600cc engine would set you back less than a grand, and we can see that the new owner might want to convert it to run on 12 volts too; this means that a low four-figure investment would see it driving better and being easier to live with, albeit at the expense of originality.

The engine bay is clean but not obsessively so. It could easily be detailed very cheaply as few engines are better served in this department than these.

The underside is completely solid, including the new jacking points. It has also been very neatly undersealed, which bodes well for its future longevity.

The Transporter has a current MoT valid until March 2022, which it passed with no advisories

It has a few old invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years, along with the handbook, some American paperwork, a delightful hand-written record of fuel and oil added over the years, plus a letter from HMRC confirming that the import duty and VAT has been paid here in the UK.

The vendor captured a number of photos of the truck before he did any work on it and there’s a sample of them in the gallery here, but he could probably be persuaded to load them all up on a USB stick if the buyer is interested.

If you’re looking for a remarkably original, fully restored, split-screen T2 pickup then you’ve found it; imported with all taxes paid, it’s road-registered, MoT inspected and ready for work or play. It’s a bit of a blank canvas and there are countless possibilities for what the next owner can do with it, more so if a bigger engine were dropped in and the electrics converted to 12 volts.

How about making it into a camper - not a closed up van but an open air one with a large canvas over the top of the load bed and all your equipment mounted into the sides? Or maybe a hippy surfer’s ride with racks for your boards and some suitably psychedelic graphics or artwork down the sides? Or a mobile bar, or pizza truck, or just about anything. Don’t let our limited imagination hold you back - you’ll know what you want it for.

You’d also be forgiven for loving it just the way it is because it is utterly delightful and we think it’s going to fetch somewhere between £22,500 and £26,500. Where it ends up is anyone’s guess because its condition, versatility and sheer wow-factor can’t help but stir up some interest.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.  To arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.