(Photo: Chris Sampson)
The Volkswagen Type 2, which has been in production since 1949, has reached the end of the road. The last factory that manufactures them is shutting down that product line:
The last Volkswagen "hippie bus" is due to roll off an an assembly line in Brazil on Dec. 31.
It seems the van that became known as the transportation of choice for counter-culture folks in the '60s can't be made with the air bags and other safety equipment that "the man" wants it to have.
So Volkswagen is ending production in the last place where the van's still made; a factory near Sao Paulo.
Volkswagen Brazil is turning the final few into special editions. They'll come in sort of robin's egg blue with white trim. Inside: "Special vinyl upholstery" with those colors and blue curtains on the windows.
Link -via American Digest
When I can manage it, I'm going to hire or buy one of those and tour the Pacific Northwest. My big adventure!
The type 2 actually looks like this:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/VW_T2