VW’s Microbus—and Its Woodstock Legacy—Paves the Way for ID. Buzz

Damon Ristau knows Volkswagens. Not only did he direct two documentaries about them—The Bug: Life and Times of the People’s Car (2016) and The Bus (2012), but he’s also had a lifetime personal passion for the VW Microbus, a/k/a Transporter, Type 2, and Kombi. The car’s retro electric successor, the ID. Buzz, is scheduled to go on sale in the US as a 2025 model next summer.

“At 16, I bought a beat-up 1968 Microbus. I was a wanna-be hippie,” Ristau said. “And as a teenager I was able to change the oil and keep up the maintenance. It was a joyful few years. I had it from sophomore to senior year of high school, and used to pack the whole cross-country team into it for runs.”

After high school, to his parents’ horror, Ristau turned down a scholarship to the University of Montana and drove the bus—by now converted to a Westfalia camper—to Mexico and had adventures.

When he got back to Spokane, the bus was promptly totaled by a drunk driver, but the good memories remained. He later bought an abandoned 1974 Westfalia for $80, fixed it up, and subsequently sold it to an eager buyer in France.

The second-generation VW van, the T2, was sold in the US from 1967 to 1979.

They were made around the world but we got ours from Germany, specifically from two plants, one in Hannover and one in Emden.

The Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente loaned some historic surfboards to the ID. Buzz debut.

The Surfing Heritage and Culture Center has everything from Duke Kahanamoku's boards to Bruce Brown's 16mm camera and tripod.

The first VW van is often credited to Belgian importer Ben Pond, but Pond actually saw a jury-rigged Type 1 Beetle that had been converted to a sort of parts hauler at the factory. History does not record who made that.

Because the van was Volkswagen's second model, after the Beetle, it was given the moniker Type 2.

A T2 Westfalia camper.

The first-gen vans come with many different configurations, but the most valuable ones have the most windows. The base models had 11 windows, others had 13, 21, and 23 windows.

The character Fillmore in the Cars movies was based on a VW van.

This dog was chasing after this little RC bus, barking its dog head off.

The dog then retreated to his own VW van.

The vans are often associated with hippies.

This Type 2 van was named Spencer.

Volkswagen subcontracted the modifications to the company Westfalia-Werke in Rheda-Wiedenbrück.

For a while, in the 1960s and '70s, people would cut the middle out of the vans to create these. Note the Gulf Oil livery.

Here it is from the other side.

The Westfalia conversions offered everything you'd need to live in, or camp in, your van.

The fourth-generation T4 was sold in the US from 1990 to 2003.

Peace, man!

This T1 had doors on both sides.

Fillmore had a late night...

The first-gen vans had a wide range of engines, from a 1.1-liter, 2-liter, 5-liter, and even a 6-liter sold only in Brazil. None made enough horsepower.

Instead of crumple zones, the T1 offered the legs of occupants.

Is it right to modify the ride height like this, or is it blasphemy?

This ambulance was at Amelia Island this year, complete with fake patient.

The new, US-spec ID. Buzz rolled onto stage.

All ID. Buzzes will come with two-tone paint jobs.

This is the actual parts truck used by the Meyers Manx factory.

This Vanagon belongs to the great Freeman Thomas, car designer.

The first Westfalia campers had these square poptops.