VW Blocks Sale Of Daihatsu Kei Van Imitating Classic Microbus

In Japan, there’s a thriving market for kei vans dressed up to resemble classic cars. These small, practical vehicles appeal to both young drivers and enthusiasts looking for a fun, nostalgic ride. Take for example the pictured 1998 Daihatsu Atrai, customized to look like a Volkswagen Type II Microbus. Just to be clear, this is an aftermarket modification, not something that rolled off the factory line looking like this.

The resemblance was apparently convincing enough to catch Volkswagen’s attention—so much so that they demanded Cars & Bids take down the auction. The site complied and even agreed not to list similar vehicles in the future.

Nothing seemed out of sorts in the beginning days of the auction. Doug DeMuro himself gave the car a glowing take saying that it’ll “surely turn heads everywhere it goes.” Sadly for the seller and prospective buyers, it had already turned the heads of Volkswagen corporate.

More: Volkswagen Has Subaru Kei Van Destroyed For Being A ‘Knockoff Microbus’

Here’s what Cars & Bids had to say after abruptly canceling the auction, posting this statement in the listing’s comments section:

“Earlier this week, we received a cease and desist letter from a firm representing VW of North America, stating that this van’s design infringes on multiple of their trademarks — including their logo as well as the design of the VW Bus. We do not believe that there is any merit to these claims. However, we do want to ensure that neither the seller nor the winner of the auction encounter any issues, and as a result, have made the difficult decision to cancel this auction.”

Photos Cars&Bids

Which raises the obvious question: Why does Volkswagen care if someone puts fake badging and paint on a vehicle that to most people will never, ever be confused with a real Type II Microbus? Well, the reality is that to a degree, it has to go after these vehicles.

Trademark or Corporate Overreach?

DeMuro addressed the situation in one of his podcasts and essentially laid out the simple facts. Under U.S. trademark law, Volkswagen must take action where it can against such things because it could risk losing that trademark otherwise. However, there’s a difference between cracking down on a business producing and selling counterfeit kits and going after individual enthusiasts who just want to drive something cool. This situation feels more like the latter, even if the seller appears to be a business that imported the car rather than a private owner.

And that’s where the whole thing starts to feel excessive. If this were about protecting their intellectual property from a company profiting off VW’s designs, that would be one thing. But targeting a niche enthusiast vehicle—a single, modified kei van—just makes Volkswagen look petty. It’s a strange hill to die on. If anything, you’d think they’d want people to associate their brand with fun, desirable cars, not lawsuits over tiny Japanese vans.

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Context matters, though. Volkswagen’s sensitivity makes a little more sense when you factor in the new ID. Buzz, its $70,000 electric Microbus reboot with a touch over 200 miles of range, built almost entirely on nostalgia for the original. The last thing VW wants is a fleet of budget-friendly imposters stealing attention. But let’s be real: if your brand identity is so fragile that a rebadged Daihatsu threatens it, maybe the problem isn’t the Daihatsu.

To their credit, Cars&Bids say that they canceled the auction not so much to appease VW as they did to protect the seller and potential buyer. If the van had sold on the platform, it could’ve provided Volkswagen with the ammo it needed to go after that eventual buyer to a less-than-savory outcome.

More: VW Accuses Used Car Dealer Of Having “Bastardized” Logo

Predictably, VW’s hardline stance didn’t sit well with the enthusiast community. Here’s just one of several scathing comments on the auction site:

“Very aware of the history of the ‘Kraft durch Freude’ beginnings of the original beetle. VW was able to move away from that and become the ‘peoples car’ (Volk+Wagen). Obviously they have moved away from that and are now in trouble, circling the drain with expensive cars that are unreliable and that people don’t want. The last thing they need to be doing is nonsense like this. Even though the ID Buzz was IMO way overpriced, i still liked it and was considering getting one. Not any more. VW will sell 10-20K of them to the “gotta haves” and then they will be stuck trying to dump them. I have been a huge VW fan all my life but they have really lost their way. This is a great example of that. It saddens me, but they did this to themselves.”

VW’s History of Going After Kei Vans

One might wonder, why doesn’t VW just communicate with owners of cars like these to perhaps de-badge them? Here’s the wild thing. Volkswagen appears to have no willingness to work with people on this. Back in 2021, it had the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seize a similar van.

When the owner found out about it he told Volkswagen that he’d remove the VW emblem, repaint the vehicle, AND sign a non-disclosure agreement. What did Volkswagen do? They had the kei van crushed. If the brand is so worried about the ‘threat’ these microbuses pose to their new ID. Buzz, maybe the Buzz shouldn’t cost around $70,000.

Photos Cars&Bids