Final yr, when the Palisades Hearth tore by Southern California, a white-over-blue Volkswagen T2 one way or the other (principally) survived. It turned a beacon of hope, and as soon as the automaker realized in regards to the bus, it pledged to repair it. Now, VW has restored it and is able to present it off to the general public.
In keeping with the automaker, the T2 wanted vital work, together with mechanical fixes. The fireplace burnt the outside, peeled the paint, and melted a flip sign cowl. The restoration course of required VW to interchange or restore over 900 components, and the venture took greater than 2,000 hours to finish.
Pictures of the “magic bus” revealed a whole lot of its injury, however regardless of that, it was clearly value saving.
Complicating the restoration course of was the truth that earlier homeowners had modified the bus, and it lacked a few of its authentic components. Volkswagen struggled to seek out a number of parts, together with the factory-option clock, a new-in-box aspect aerial antenna, and alternative material for the window shades.
Volkswagen restored the bus at its Oxnard, California, facility, the place VW Group of America homes its historic autos. The automaker partnered with GE Kudensport, which restores historic Porsches, to finish the bodywork restoration.
The van, made well-known by an Related Press picture capturing the white-over-blue T2 standing out towards the charred destruction of its environment, makes its public look at this yr’s Los Angeles Auto Present. The proprietor, Megan Weinraub, named the automotive Azul, and it’ll be on show on the present by November 30.
VW collaborated with Candylab to create a limited-edition picket collectable model of the restored van, nicknamed “Azul,” which is Spanish for blue. The little van is barely out there at VW’s LA Auto Present sales space, whereas provides final. As soon as the LA present is over, the van will head to the Petersen Automotive Museum for an exhibition operating from December 4 to January 11.
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Supply: Volkswagen
