Photo: CCA
One of the most celebrated variations of the Volkswagen Type 2, the Samba isn’t just your average camper van. It’s a studio apartment on wheels, albeit it has more windows than the real deal. And the thing with the particularly rare Samba 23 Window is, it’s rather hard to find an authentic example at a fair price, especially in RHD configuration.
The pictured 1953 model, then, it a bit of a holy grail for some people. For all the right reasons, it comes as no surprise that the pre-auction estimate for Devon-converted Samba starts from £45,000, topping at £55,000. For reference, a T6 Transporter in range-topping California Ocean from kicks off from £50,175 in the UK. The modern-day peer, however, doesn’t hold a candle to the original on the aesthetic front.
To go under the hammer at the CCA June 2017 Classic Car Sale, the retro bug-out vehicle scores a respectable 107 out of a maximum 135 points in terms of condition. Delivered new to South Africa, the Samba spent just about four decades of its life in a warm climate. It was 2005 when the RHD specimen was imported to the United Kingdom, where the current owner lovingly restored the camper van to a high standard.
Both inside and out, the focus was on restoring the Microbus-derived model in as near original specification as possible. The nut-and-bolt job also saw the engine being overhauled, but this is an area where the owner veered off from originality. Driving the rear wheels is a 1,600 flat-four built by Bear VW Services in Birmingham. The company also worked its magic on the manual transmission, with the drivetrain now capable of cruising comfortably at an agreeable 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).
“A right-hand-drive 1959 Samba is rare enough, but combine this with an authentic Devon interior, only available in that year, and you have one very special bus,” explains Simon Langsdale, consignor at CCA. “How the owner managed to source all original parts is quite extraordinary, and this has to be one of the most original, restored Campers anyone can find anywhere."
To go under the hammer at the CCA June 2017 Classic Car Sale, the retro bug-out vehicle scores a respectable 107 out of a maximum 135 points in terms of condition. Delivered new to South Africa, the Samba spent just about four decades of its life in a warm climate. It was 2005 when the RHD specimen was imported to the United Kingdom, where the current owner lovingly restored the camper van to a high standard.
Both inside and out, the focus was on restoring the Microbus-derived model in as near original specification as possible. The nut-and-bolt job also saw the engine being overhauled, but this is an area where the owner veered off from originality. Driving the rear wheels is a 1,600 flat-four built by Bear VW Services in Birmingham. The company also worked its magic on the manual transmission, with the drivetrain now capable of cruising comfortably at an agreeable 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).
“A right-hand-drive 1959 Samba is rare enough, but combine this with an authentic Devon interior, only available in that year, and you have one very special bus,” explains Simon Langsdale, consignor at CCA. “How the owner managed to source all original parts is quite extraordinary, and this has to be one of the most original, restored Campers anyone can find anywhere."
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