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VW Camper Van

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Campers have been the vehicle of choice for globe trotters, festival-goers, surfers and rock stars for six decades.

The owners of vintage VW camper vans are a dedicated bunch, lavishing care, attention and money on their beloved wheels.

They are the first to admit their "Combis" stop badly, weigh a ton, are underpowered and prone to electrical failure - but despite the faults, they remain a magnetic pull.

The camper van began life as a wagon to carry panels around VW's car plant in Wolfsburg, until it was spotted in the late 1940s by Dutch importer Ben Pon.

He made sketches based on the vehicle then struck a deal with engineers to develop them - spawning the first model complete with cylindrical headlights, split windscreen and famous circular logo.

Synonymous with 1960s counter culture, the vehicles have never lost their popularity.

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Do You Remember VW Camper Van?

Do You Remember VW Camper Van?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    I used to love them when I was a child, and always hoped like mad that we'd be able to have one one day- they seemed to have everything you could possibly need. Have gone off them in recent years though, largely because most of their owners nowadays seem to be so unpleasant. I don't know why, but the modern VW camper cult seems to attract some real yobbo's- I live in Malvern in Worcestershire, and we have the annual VW Camper Festival at the Three Counties Showground down the road. It's always heavily policed, and there are always arrests there for violence or criminal damage. Some camp sites in Pembrokeshire even ban VW's because their owners have such a bad reputation!

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