Tie-Dye Duct Tape

[dave lackey]

Somehow, that Olympic Athletic Club sticker looks way out of place.

I never owned one of these, nor wanted to, but I drove a few. I agree, they seemed to offer zero crash protection to the driver. At least on a motorcycle you can bail out if necessary, in the bus you're in for the duration. Like Tom wrote so eloquently, it isn't what the buses actually were, it's everything they symbolized. All this one needs is a "Don't laugh, your daughter could be in here" sticker. Maybe a Mr. Natural too.

Ha! Never crashed on a motorcycle or hit a deer at 60mph in the dark have you? I would have rather been in my MG Midget at those times. Funny thing, though, lately, I noticed that I have lost a number of friends in motorcycle crashes but I also ride a bicycle and now find that more friends are getting killed/hurt on their bicycles. Dangerous world out there.

I totally agree with what they represent and for me, that hasn't changed. Freedom, rebellion, youth, passion, excitement, fill-in-the-blanks. All that, sure. But for me, it is also a matter of aesthetics and pure function.

Now if VW would get off their collective arses and produce their concept microbus that IS safer.... But, no, they keep building the same old boring Golf, Jetta, Passat and 4-door sedans that are nothing more than German Camry's. Gack!

Haven't even seen a TV ad for the new Beetle....what's up with that?

Okay, back to the OT...the cool photo in the original post.

 

[dave lackey]

Yet another one. This one in Australia, 1970. It kept blowing engines as the aircooling could not cope with the heat in the Outback. Got rid of it and switched to a Honda 450 motorcycle instead.
This is at the "Devils Marbles".
I have owned at least 6 VW buses in my life, a 1952 Karman Camper, a 1955 Samba, and a 1960 camper. They do break down but are easy to fix and they were responsible for a major movement of people in the 60's. Like demented boxes they migrated towards warm climate, cheap drugs and drink and in a perpetual search for hot showers!!!! For many years the worlds largest used VW Bus market was around the American Express Office in Amsterdam. Prices went down as airplane departure time got closer and closer!

Dang, Tom...if you are lucky to own one VW Bus, you're lucky enough! But SIX times lucky? Cool!