Yahoo Autos Westfalia returning to the U.S. after nearly 20-year hiatus
Westfalia, the company that brought Americans a series of Volkswagen van-based campers equipped with a pop-up roof, will return to the American market in 2024 after a nearly two-decade-long hiatus. Its upcoming line of RVs won't be based on a Volkswagen model, however.
Owned by French company Groupe Rapido, the emblematic brand announced its return by publishing a brief statement accompanied by a preview image on its newly-launched American website. It stopped short of revealing which line(s) of motorhomes it will sell here, but the photo at the top of the page shows a Ram ProMaster-based van parked on a beach and partially hidden by two people holding surfboards. That's a huge hint: Westfalia offers a range of campers named Columbus in Europe, and they're based on the Fiat Ducato, which is the van that spawned the ProMaster. It's too early to tell how many variants of the Columbus (there are four in Europe) will end up in North America.
What you see on Westfalia's European website isn't necessarily what you'll get when sales start in 2024. Trade journal RV Business learned that motorhomes destined for the North American market will be manufactured in Ontario, Canada, so there may be some country-specific differences in terms of equipment (and, undoubtedly, powertrain; most motorhomes sold in Europe run on diesel). Westfalia will sell its range of campers through a dealer network that it hasn't established yet, and it will preview its campers at a trade show in Indiana in September.
Len McDougall, the head of sales for Westfalia North America, told RV Business that the main feature adventurers love about older campers will again be available. Its RVs will "feature sleeping availability in the front, rear, and upper pop-top area of the van," he clarified.
