If VW Type 2 vehicles are your thing, then this 1955 Samba Microbus will certainly make you check your account balance to see if you can afford it. This particular car is Britain’s first Type 2 Samba Microbus and will go under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro Sale which takes place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on February 21 and 22.
Estimated to fetch between £70,000 ($106,220) and £75,000 ($113,810), the vehicle is the first and possibly the only surviving VW Type 2 Samba Microbus imported into the UK. Built at the original plant in Wolfsburg, the right-hand drive bus was delivered new into the UK on November 21, 1955, by John Colborne-Barber, the founder of the first ever VW dealership in the UK.
Samba models were never officially imported new into the UK, which is why this particular car is considered to be the only surviving example of the few Wolfsburg-built Type 2s in the country. Carrying the original “SGP 62” license plates, the Samba Microbus was rediscovered in 1992 in the West Country after 30 years in storage.
Over the last 18 months it has been restored to the original specification with a few additional safety and convenience features including a new bespoke period-correct Devon interior complete with an Osokool fridge and Dudley stove, which were were sourced specifically for this bus and are said to be in mint condition.
The vehicle also comes with a certificate of authenticity from the Stiftung Auto Museum Volkswagen, as well as a personal letter regarding the bus from Mr. Colborne-Baber’s son.
“This is a fantastic piece of Volkswagen history and as such we expect a lot of interest when it comes up for auction. These vehicles are hugely popular around the globe and collectors are now paying some incredibly sums for them,” said Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions.
PHOTOS
