Randy Grubb’s Magic Bus: The Frankencar Combining a GMC Motorhome, VW Bus and a Milk Truck

Randy Grubb has been creating automotive art for years, both on his own and as part of the Blastolene collective. His name might not ring a bell even with passionate car enthusiasts, but maybe his works are familiar: he did Jay Leno’s now famous Car Tank and the DecoLiner that was everywhere in the media in the early 2010s and then again in early 2020, when Grubb sold it for half a million dollars. In between, he did a variety of other stuff, from award-winning hot rods to deco-pods.

Grubb’s work might be occasionally controversial, but there is no disputing the quality of his work or the kind of dedication he puts into every piece. Grubb’s latest project is also perhaps his least famous outside of U.S. borders, though through no fault of its own. It is actually a spin on and a “next level”-type of project for the DecoLiner, which Grubb once described as the only double-decker motorhome in the world, which allows operation both from inside the cabin and from the open flybridge.

If the DecoLiner is crazy – and it is, by all means – the Magic Bus is crazy times two, though not necessarily for its functionality. It is a Volkswagen bus stacked on top of a GMC Motorhome, swathed in hand-molded shiny aluminum sheets and bathed in the most deliciously retro pastels, designed to be a touring limousine.

Despite being based on a motorhome, it doesn’t actually offer the accommodation of one, though you can still sleep in relative comfort on either floor. But unlike the DecoLiner, the Magic Bus has an elevator, and that’s a phrase you’re unlikely to read in relation to few other motorhomes out there.

The idea for the Magic Bus came from the DecoLiner, with which it shares the same GMC Motorhome chassis that Grubb finds so convenient due to the fact that it’s front-wheel drive. Produced between 1973 and 1978, the GMC Motorhome wrote history for the fact that it used a front-wheel drive, which allowed a much roomier interior and a lower profile. For Grubb, that works out just fine, because it gives him more to work with.

Power comes from a 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8 engine sourced from a 1973 Oldsmobile Toronado, mated to a GM TH425 three-speed automatic transaxle, all of it meticulously restored by Grubb himself. The nose is from a Divco milk truck, which Grubb saw and instantly knew he had to have – even though it was not a fit for the ‘74 GMC Motorhome and he then had to widen it by 8 inches. It all worked out in the end, because it allowed him a wider base of the automotive pyramid he was building.

The upper part is a 1962 VW bus, originally an 11-window that he converted into a 23-window and then added the biggest skylights he could. Because Grubb doesn’t do anything halfway; as he often says in interviews, he wants to build automotive sculptures that make people smile, but that are also functional and fun to be in – or what he calls “moving smiles machines” that deliver “mechanicalocity.”

Before mounting the bus, Grubb built a supporting structure with aluminum girders, running down the sides of the lower body and integrating them into the bus. Parts that were not borrowed from other cars are handcrafted by Grubb; the rear fender, for example, is inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s cleavage and goes just perfectly with the curvy silhouette of this art-deco-inspired build.

While the Magic Bus is entirely Grubb’s idea and design, it might not have happened had it not been for Michael Birch, co-founder of the San Francisco-based members-only club The Battery. Birch had heard of the DecoLiner and he thought it would be a great fit for the kind of promotional vehicle/touring bus he had in mind. He traveled to Grants Pass, Oregon to buy it off Grubb, only to find out that it already had a buyer. So Gruff offered to build him a new one, one that would be a sort of tribute to the city of San Francisco.

Since its main purpose is to offer tours, the Magic Bus doesn’t offer accommodation, but that’s not to say it’s not as impressive inside as it’s visually striking from a distance. The ground floor offers limo-style seating, with a couple of rows of seats facing each other, and a sort of conversation pit with a single curved sofa at one end. A vintage Coca-Cola fridge is available in the front, and oversize dual AC units keep temperatures at a comfortable level in the California heat.

Behind the driver’s seat is the elevator that takes you to the upper section. Based on the elevator from the Jupiter 2 spacecraft from the TV series Lost in Space, it’s a one-person contraption that zaps you to the second floor with help from a winch used on ATVs and hidden cables – but it does it way more slowly. The entire floor of the bus is a lounge, with comfy pillows for support and impressive 360-views. It might not have a bed or as much as a sofa, but it’s actually quite cozy thanks to the amount of space available and the expansive glazing throughout.

It took Grubb 18 months to take the Magic Bus from the drawing board to completion, and he never disclosed the full price. Artists are notoriously shy about financial details where their work is concerned, but in this case, the omission makes sense since the Magic Bus was a paid commission. Not that this means it’s not a labor of love as well – you only have to listen to Grubb talk about it to see that for yourself.