This is by far the longest thread I've seen on this site, and it's about people, not cars. Perhaps that in itself gives an indication of the common denominator here. I find myself attracted to these vans because of their legacy, which leads back to the kinder, gentler counterculture of the 60's. Even though it may have been hippie-dippy, touchy-feely, and artsy-fartsy, it was not such a bad thing. I'm a former general contractor with a degree in Comparative Literature from the Sorbonne; studied film at SF State, earned living as photographer for a short while, taught in a community college for 11 years, built a couple of houses, play jazz piano (only Sundays), father of two, soft-hearted Marxist, landlord. A book I'm reminded of is "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." There is something about these vans that encourages you to explore them and bond with them by doing mechanical work. This goes against the grain of modern consumerist culture, which produces impenetrable object meant to be discarded. Maybe a distrust of this culture is another trait Vanagon owners share.
Geza |
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