1979 Volkswagen Campervan

This is the later Type 2 with the wraparound bumpers and the indicators moved high up on the front panel, but still with the correct soundtrack to any campervan holiday, the VW air-cooled flat four. A water-cooled engine in a Type 2 is just plain wrong, in our view.

It spent the majority of its life in sunny (and salt free) California, which is why the steering wheel is on the left. Still, you won’t be overtaking anything in a T2 because the journey is just as important as the destination in a T2, so relax.

The current owners bought it from the chap who imported it to the UK, then spent many hours and many thousands of pounds restoring it. They say they’ll be very sad to see it go, but that they’re just not getting the chance to use it as much as they’d like to. It has a fresh MoT and has been stored in a car port while in their care.

Overall this Type 2 looks lovely, with shiny red paint and a tidy appearance. But the years it’s spent outside of California have taken a bit of a toll on its bodywork, and there are several areas that require attention, although as the recent MoT attests, none of them are structural.

One of these is on the front passenger (offside) of the van. The lower front wing, front door and side sliding door all have rust bubbles that need dealing with. Dealt with now we suspect the repairs would be fairly minor in nature, but leave them and they will only get worse.

There is also a very small area near the engine cover handle that requires sorting, and the rear bumper has a rusty patch, although this appears to be purely cosmetic. The offside rear wheel arch has small rust bubbles and will need looking at too, as will the seam between the side and rear panels. A dent near the offside rear light has slightly creased the panel.

This is where this Type 2 shines – the interior is glorious. There aren’t many vehicles where red and cream seats with multi-coloured velvet side panels would work, but they suit his VW down to the ground.

There’s a bill included with the van for fitting a 230v hook-up, hence the mains plugs you see inside the T2. Flowery curtains and plywood panels further add to the Californian Summer of Love vibe, and it’s all topped off – quite literally – with a blue and white stripy pop top.

This is a vital addition to any VW camper, as unless you played an Ewok in the Star Wars franchise, without one you’ll have a bad back from stooping within hours of arriving at your holiday destination.

There’s also a sink with a tap, a gas hob and a fridge, plus lots of storage space and a modern stereo system. It really is quite the compact hotel suite, with all amenities close at hand (the pool is outside, as long as you parked near a beach).

The engine in this bus is a later 2-litre unit which is an excellent upgrade on the original 1600cc version. Don’t worry, you still get the air cooled clatter, just with more grunt for hauling the family towards the sun and sand.

Underneath the van there is no sign we could see of the cosmetic corrosion on its topside. A good thick coating of underseal has protected it, which we think indicates that the problems further up may be less serious than they might otherwise be.

The paperwork indicates that this Type 2 was first registered in the UK in May 2011. There is a large selection of historic bills and invoices, including one that details a new engine being fitted in 2013. There is also a selection of old MoT certificates and two sets of keys for the vehicle.

The owner says:

‘We fell in love it when we saw it – it is so pretty. Her name is Marsha. Marsha was lovingly restored by a chap in Bristol who brought it over from the States – it started life in California and lived there for its first 25ish years. We bought it from Bristol – must be getting on for eight or nine years ago now.

‘We used it a lot for the first six years because our children were small and we all fitted in it perfectly. The children slept in the roof bed and they have many fun memories of playing games up there!

‘We used the van for lots of trips around the UK. (Mostly cricket matches and cricket tours). It has been to the Malvern Junior County Cricket Tour many times. It has also been to the Bamburgh Castle Triathlon, and it made it all the way up to Scotland one summer!

‘The van was the perfect backdrop for the Plant Stall at the Village Summer Fete for several years in a row, and it has been borrowed several times to drive teenagers to school leavers' proms.

‘Sadly we have grown out of it now – the children are too big for it and it hasn't been anywhere now since the Covid pandemic. We are very sad to part with it, but it needs to be owned now by someone who has time to give it a little TLC.

‘It needs to be driven regularly otherwise the battery flattens (or we disconnect and remove the battery at times when we know we are not going to use it). It has been serviced regularly and we have always kept it under cover.’

No amount of all-inclusive resort holidays can quite capture the sense of fun and excitement that you can have in a Type 2 Campervan, and this is a very well specced one that just needs an enthusiastic new owner to spend a little time sprucing up the upper bodywork defects. Book now, places are limited. We think it will sell for between £10,000-£15,000 - but is on offer at no reserve, so the highest bid will take it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.