1973 Volkswagen T2 Double-Cab Pick-Up

An ultra-rare double-cab pick-up, this 1973 example was owned from new by a South African VW specialist who lived and worked in the middle of the continent, away even from salt-laden coastal air.

The vehicle’s only previous owner, it passed to his sister-in-law upon his death from whom the vendor bought it. Having come from a dry climate and benefitting from such an experienced owner, it is in a remarkable condition.

Freshly imported with its NOVA confirmation letter that all taxes have been paid, it is ultra-solid, nigh-on rust-free and sports a full MOT certificate. It’s running beautifully too, and its dual-cab, with that single rear nearside door, and huge pickup bed make it the ultimate family adventure wagon.

Showing just 70,000kms, or a little over 43,000 miles, this is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to buy a solid and presentable, enthusiast-owned double-cab pickup from the home of the bakkie.

Just take a look at the photos; lovely, isn’t it? White is a great colour for a utility vehicle being easy to signwrite and even easier to polish and touch-up – and the fact that it makes vehicles like this look so bloomin’ lovely is the icing on an already very attractive cake.

And this is an eye-catching vehicle. Take a look at that single rear door, for example: positioned on the nearside so your kids exit the vehicle on the safe side away from the traffic, it adds a quirky yet practical touch that we love.

We also love the rust-free, straight panels, good paintwork, and great shutlines; we don’t know to what use its previous owner put it but we’re willing to bet that heavy lifting and towing didn’t play a significant part.

Of course, it has definitely been touched up here and there over the years – and may even have had more intensive refurbishment - but the overall impression is of a well-cared for pickup that has been treasured over the years.

The chromework is decent and only lightly pitted, and the various fixtures and fittings in the rear allow the sides to fold down or be removed, contributing to the pickup’s versatility. There are lashing points too, making it ideal for the transport of bikes, canoes, kayaks and, of course, surfboards. The floor of the load-bed is clean and well presented; it, again, speaks of only gentle use.

There are plenty of rubber buffers to stop the various panels bashing into each other when they’re opened or folded down, too; this is a very well-designed piece of industrial engineering.

The 14-inch Minilite-style alloy wheels are in good shape even if they do show some light surface corrosion. Refurbishing them would be straightforward, and although the rear tyres are chunky newish Dunlops, the front axle is fitted with a pair of elderly Firestones and while these went through an MOT with no remarks, we can see that the new owner might like to fit new ones to match those on the back.

Work to do is minor: the front and rear plastic lenses are patinated and crazed, the wheels could do with refurbishing or replacing, the door locks don’t work, and the rear tailgate retaining latches are MIA.

The tan vinyl interior offsets the white coachwork perfectly – and it’s survived the years remarkably well. It’s true that there is some wear to the outer edge of the driver’s seat and a stitched repair to the top of the front bench seat but the rest is in a great condition.

And, again, it’s as practical as it is attractive with a two-person bench seat next to the driver and a rear seat that’ll accommodate another three abreast making it a six-seater in total.

There’s a metal bulkhead ‘twixt the two for safety – and the addition of a mesh dog guard would make the area ideal for anyone with a pair of big dogs. The lower edge of this, along with the floorpan, has been painted in grey. The floors appear, like the rest of it, utterly solid.

The carpets are in fine fettle, as are the door cards. The switchgear is good too, and while it does appear to have had one extra switch fitted, the rest is very original and has weathered the intervening half-century with impressive aplomb. It still wears the radio blanking plate, for example, plus the door for the glovebox; again, these things speak of a life gently led.

Problems? Well, apart from the hole in the base of the driver’s seat and the odd stretch of stray piping, the headlining is a little stained in places, as are the sun visors.

Also, given just how good it is we can see the new owner might like to touch-in some of the bracketry and miscellaneous fittings to maximise the VW’s wow-factor but honestly, for what was sold originally as a working vehicle it is in a staggeringly good condition.

The T2’s underside is as solid as you’d expect of a car that has lived its life in South Africa. Strong and unsullied, its underseal has been touched up in places so we can see the new owner would probably want to wire-brush off the rest and give it a full coating to protect it from the ravages of a British winter.

It starts on the button and drives as a good T2 should.

The VW has a new MOT certificate, which is valid until September 2021. It was gained with only a couple of advisories for split ball joint dust covers, so there’s nothing to worry about there.

As with almost every imported car, the T2 doesn’t come with much in the way of paperwork. It does have its South African Certificate of Registration (showing it as a ‘bakkie’!), a current MOT certificate and the NOVA confirmation letter.

The new owner will need to apply for the UK V5 registration document but this should be an easy, straightforward job.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing to see photos of this paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We sold a another of the vendor’s T2 pickups a few months ago. Pretty rust-free but in need of light restoration work and recommissioning, its rarity, solidity and the model’s enduring popularity meant it still fetched £9,000.

This one, on the other hand, doesn’t need commissioning; freshly imported with all taxes paid and a brand-new MOT, it just needs its V5 registration applying for after which it’s ready for work or play.

And, it really is a dual-purpose vehicle, as much at home carting surf boards on the beach as it would be schlepping tools and materials around for a hipster builder.

So, we think it’s going to fetch somewhere between £11,000 and £20,000 but where it ends up is anyone’s guess because we think its condition, versatility and sheer wow-factor could see it anywhere between those two figures.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.