Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 09:10:38 -0700
Reply-To: Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Subject: What would it take to make a "New Microbus"?
I was not *born* in a VW microbus, but nearly so -- certainly my first good
memories are riding in our 1953 Deluxe (in 1955 or 6). I loved holding
onto the jailbars in the back, where I typically rode in the luggage-bin.
The New Beetle brings much of the feeling of the old beetle back, with some
of the odd things (like the bud vase) that were actually really rare to see
back then thrown in.
What would it take to make a Eurovan T4 into a "New Microbus" the way the
Golf morphed into the New Beetle?
Personally, I think it would be *easier*. Here's my list:
* Two tone paint job (ours was black over red, but the white over red is better)
* Sun Roof -- a BIG sun roof like the Microbus had.
* Rear corner windows and jailbars
* Skylight windows
* Big VW emblem on the front
* New front-end design to echo the old "V" front a bit more.
* Bud Vase
* VR6 and TDI options
I agree that the New Golf-bug is a far superior car to the original bug, and
I'm certain that the current T4 is far better than the original bus. It is
probably better than the Vanagons, too.
One of the main reasons the New Beetle is attractive is that it is loaded with
good features, and the price is not stratospheric. I think a "new microbus"
would have to be in a similar price range -- like below $25k, and similarly
"optioned". Nostalgia is worth *something* but the car has to be a reasonable
value as well.
I think that fairly simple cosmetic changes could transform the T4 into a
nostalgia-mobile, unlike the rather extensive bodywork needed to transform
the "New Golf" into the "New Beetle".
One problem that I would foresee in making a New Microbus based on the T4 is
that the current T3 is already now 8 years old, and if VW keeps to its
traditional schedule, it only has three more years of life left. VW is
likely to already have the T5 getting close on its drawing boards. It is
likely to be too far away to inherit any of the "New Beetle" cache.
Malcolm
(actually, the 11-year Transporter cycle was sort of screwed up early on --
the "T1" was made in the original version for only a very few years, and
the "T1-1/2" was made for more than 11 years -- slightly. I break the
splitties into Barn-door vs. non-Barndoor ones -- they really *were* quite
different, but in doing so the 11-year cycle fits pretty well!)
