2007 VW Bay Window

‘WX07 AHZ’ is a Brazilian-made Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi campervan that’s finished in an attractive blue-and-white colour scheme. Powered by a 1.4-litre water-cooled petrol engine for extra civility (and fewer hot-oil smells), it arrived here in 2007 before being converted by Danbury into this delightful campervan.

The seller and her husband bought it around ten years ago and used it regularly – and they loved it so much they even had the garage roof raised to accommodate it when they moved. Sadly, he died a couple of years ago and his wife felt she had no choice but to leave it in the garage for a couple of years until she found the strength to deal with it.

With just 89,000 miles on the odometer and now freshly serviced and MoT’d (a feat it accomplished without racking up any advisories), we suspect this Kombi campervan is ready to give many more years of sterling service.

Our man with the magnifying glass describes the T2’s paintwork as being “very tidy”, a colloquialism he usually reserves for his bacon bap and mug of Nescafe.

He redeemed his eagle-eyed reputation somewhat by pointing out there is a dent in the middle of the nearside rear quarter panel and another on the offside rear quarter but remained otherwise frustrated at the lack of issues to report.

Still, his loss could be your gain.

Because he’s absolutely right; this is a very tidy example of an ever-popular campervan, and with a bill on file for £3,000 from VW Kampers for restoring the bodywork in January 2021 (the estimate is online, so you can see exactly what was done), it’s clearly been well looked after.

The shutlines and panel alignment are good and the colour on the lower half is, we think, Mercedes Leicht Green (paint code 6427) with VW Candy Weiss (paint code VW9021) on the upper section.

The 14-inch steel wheels are enhanced with chrome hubcaps, and both elements are in good order with the former being free of dents and scuffs and the latter shiny and free of tarnishing and pitting.

Tyres are matching 185R14 Avon Supervan AV4-75 with a chunky tread pattern, all the better for parking on grassy fields. All match, and while they do have good tread left on them, they’re getting on a bit now as they were made in 2013.

Nonetheless we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The spare wheel is mounted on a cradle at the rear, which allows it to swing out of the way while also providing a secure mounting point. The spare wheel is protected by a chromed cover and the tyre is a Goodyear made in 2006.

The white bumpers contrast nicely with the blue coachwork, and they are also free of scuffs and scrapes and other signs of an owner who parks by touch rather than eye.

The lamp lenses are also free of cracks and sun-fading, the chromed mirrors are free of serious pitting and tarnishing, and the glazing is free of scratches and chips. The rubber window and door seals are also still plump and pliable, and the overall impression is of a well-cared-for campervan you could take anywhere and bask in nothing but approval.

As for the inside, the worst Our Man could find was a few sticky bits on the Cornflower Blue trim.

Everything else is very good – and it all works as it should.

It’s really not his day, is it?

Because the neatly bound blue carpets are still in fine fettle with no rubbing marks or holes, not even on the vulnerable heel protector in the driver’s footwell. The replacement door cards are Cornflower Blue, and these too are free of any obvious wear.

The doors are fitted with manual window winders for reliability, and it’s got opening front quarterlights too, negating the need for expensive and heavy air-conditioning.

The dashboard plastic is perhaps more utilitarian than you’ll find in a car of the same age but – again – it’s been designed with longevity in mind, and we’d trade soft-touch materials for something as durable as this every time.

Not that you’ll be forced to live like a savage because the gearshift is an upgraded EMPI item, music comes via a JVC CD player/radio that plays through front and rear speakers, and the steering wheel is a modern padded design.

The rest is pretty much as Danbury installed it all those years ago.

The grey fabric front seats are much more comfortable than you’ll find in an older, air-cooled version. Safer too, thanks to the presence of headrests and factory-fitted retractable three-point seatbelts that even feature chromed loops that keep the stalks within easy reach.

Moving into the living section, the rear seat is trimmed in the same fabric as the front seats, and it converts into a rock ‘n’ roll double bed. It is supplemented by a small dickey seat that provides storage underneath.

A removable table gives you somewhere to eat and work, while the Danbury pop-up roof provides standing headroom and an extra sleeping area. It also rises and falls smoothly, seals well, and even features a glass sunroof for extra light and ventilation.

The headlining is taut and clean, and the grey side fabric is in good shape with no rips, holes, and other damage.

A Voyager 2500 LPG-fired cooker offers an oven, grill, and two burners, and the stainless-steel sink has a cold-water tap. Underneath is a cutlery drawer and a Waeco Coolmatic fridge.

Other accoutrements include a blue-and-white chequered vinyl floor, a fire extinguisher, 240V sockets, reading lamps and striplights, lots of storage space, a shore-power lead and mains circuit breaker, and a pair of plastic ramps to level it up when you park for the night.

As for changes the seller and her husband made, these seem to be limited to curtains, which can be supplemented by the heavy-duty insulated blinds Danbury supplied, and cushion covers.

The T2’s recommissioning included two new batteries, one engine and one leisure, plus a change of oil and filter. The gearbox selector shaft bushes were replaced with upgraded Polybushes too, and the whole thing given the onceover.

The steering was reported as being a bit vague despite having had a new power steering system fitted by VW Kampers Ltd in July 2015, (the seller had this checked out by a VW mechanic who says that's just how they are). The same firm also fitted a brake booster and an EMPI Quick Shift, running up a bill for more than £2,500.

The tailgate struts were replaced prior to delivery at our HQ. The age of the cambelt is uncertain, although we note an invoice for replacing it in August 2016 when the mileage was recorded as 83,828 miles. (There’s a previous invoice for replacing the cambelt and waterpump in 2011, further proof of the quality of its curation.) That being said our seller believes it was replaced around 3 years ago, but unfortunately can't find the invoice for it.

It’s a useful report and one the new owner could use to prioritise the next few jobs, although we would remind you that it passed a MoT in April with no advisories.

It also benefits from having had the front-to-rear water pipes replaced with stainless-steel items, something that would set you back four figures if you were to have to done today.

Simple, robust, and with widespread parts availability, it would also make the ideal candidate for developing your knowledge. If so, we would recommend a copy of How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot Paperback by John Muir. Aimed at the air-cooled versions, it is nonetheless the bible for the model and is stuffed with so many tips it would make a great addition to any car-lover’s bookshelf.

As you’d expect, the engine starts on the button, idles solidly, and revs freely. Being water-cooled it’s also much quieter than an air-cooled engine.

The underside looks to have been well protected with underseal, both old and new. We note that rust is starting to develop along some edges and on the underside of the bumpers; however, this seems to be both modest and limited in scope at the moment, but it would be as well to catch it sooner rather than later.

The underside of the engine cover isn’t to the same high standard as everywhere else too, so you may like to sort that out while it’s booked into a bodyshop?

Although the engine hatch does look a tad messy, rest assured that this is just the protective wax which has got dirty and nothing major to worry about!

The Documentation section runs to 70 pages, which tells you all you need to know about its paper history.

The V5 Registration Certificate shows four previous UK keepers, one of which is the seller’s husband.

The VW’s MoT certificate, which expires in April 2027, was issued with no advisories, something it’s been achieving since 2021 – and plenty of years before.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file includes a reproduction Owner’s Manual, a typed list of the service history between 2007 and 2013, handbooks for some of the ancillaries fitted, a pictogram showing the dashboard layout, and many invoices for maintenance and repair.

With the Strait of Hormuz compromised for the foreseeable future, the price of fuel, especially jet fuel, is only going to be moving in one direction, something that’ll make your summer holiday considerably more expensive than it was last year.

So why not liberate some of your savings and buy this instead? Not only will it provide you with very cheap accommodation for a UK or European holiday, it’ll also be there to whisk you away for a weekend whenever the fancy takes you.

Our estimate is that the virtual hammer will drop somewhere between £11,000 and £14,000, which feels like extraordinary value given the quality of the campervan you’ll get in return.

Their reputation should also ensure decent residuals, so it might even end up costing you less than you think in the long-term.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.