1963 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus

The Story

If the Beetle was the people's car, the Volkswagen Type 2 Bus was the people's adventure. Built on Beetle mechanicals but wrapped in a roomy, upright body, the split-window 'T1' Bus became the rolling symbol of road trips, surf culture and 1960s wanderlust.

For 1963 the US-market Bus gained the larger 1,493 cc air-cooled flat-four as standard, lifting output to around 51 horsepower. It was still no sprinter, with a flat-out top speed of roughly 65 mph, but the extra displacement made loaded cross-country hauls far more bearable.

The most coveted versions were the Deluxe 'Samba' microbuses, festooned with skylight windows and a folding canvas sunroof. These 23-window models turned a humble van into a panoramic touring machine, and they are the variants that now command staggering prices at auction.

Few vehicles carry as much warm nostalgia as the split-window VW Bus. Whether remembered as a family hauler, a camper or a counterculture icon, the 1963 Type 2 remains one of the most instantly lovable classics ever built, and among the most valuable air-cooled VWs today.