SMN report:
Great news for Volkswagen fans as it’s been confirmed that VW will produce a petrol/diesel version of the Bulli electric MPV concept in a couple of years - or maybe less. The VW Bulli was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011, drawing applause for being an MPV that people might actually want to buy - in other words, a compact people-mover with some sense of style. It has to be said that not everyone was moved instantly - some VW fans muttered that the Bulli wasn’t dramatic enough, but our view a few months later is that it’s pretty OK.
Nice one - hefty box for the LEGO Camper Van.
Brains not brawn
The Bulli is not a big beast - just a little bigger than the VW Polo, in fact - but the concept showed that you don’t need bulk to have a fold-flat bed if clever design is allowed its head. The slot-in iPad on the fascia showed a sharp awareness of Apple’s masterpiece too, and follows airline practice as they accelerate replacing weighty flight manuals and complex systems with this piece of user-friendly technology.
Revell and Sun Star versions soon?
But the star itself is the Bulli, a minor classic in the making. Soooo... Revell, Sun Star, and anyone else who will listen - please let’s have a kit and a diecast of this soon-to-be real son of the classic camper. IWOOT now!
Note the lift-up split screens.
LEGO Camper Van
If Bulli is not available in the model world, then classic VW campers certainly are, and here's the latest one, this time a plastic-brick version, from LEGO. Due out in October, the 1322-piece kit is based on a 1962-model VW T1 Camper Van. The model features a pop-top roof (just like the one toted by my bay-window version) and details that include the air-cooled rear engine, split-screens at the front, and an interior equipped with curtains, cooker, sink, and - good for LEGO - that all-important bench seat-cum-double bed.
Nostalgic stuff included
More details from those days of hippies past include a lava lamp and a T-shirt marked with the slogan: ‘Make LEGO models not war’. When assembled, the LEGO Volkswagen Camper Van measures 300 mm (11.8 in) long.
SMN Geneva Show article on the Bulli, including a ‘Mr J’ doodle here.
A look at the Revell kit here.
More VW buses here.
1959 brochure showed you inside with a neatly drawn cutaway diagram.