The Oldest Street Driven VW Bus! 1950 SÜDFUNK Barndoor Bus Hot VWs Magazine

Prototypes showed up in 1949, and production started in early 1950. By the middle of that first summer, things were rolling along nicely, with an average production of over 30 Buses per day. By the end of the first year, over 8,000 Type 2s had been produced. Less than 50 of those are known to exist today. The early 1950 models (around the first 5000 units) have a stand-up spare tire next to the engine and a rear emblem. Their late 1950 counterparts (the next approximately 3000 units) have the spare tire tray above the engine and just a blank panel on the back with no emblem. The rear window would not show until four months into ’51, which was another 4500 or so Buses. A couple dozen of these early ’51s are also known to exist, and they are pretty much the same as late ’50 models. The incredibly low survival rate of less than 1% of these early no-rear-window Buses probably has a lot to do with the fact that they were workhorses. In other words, they were mostly sold in Germany at a time when cars were in high demand and tended to live a hard life.

The known history of Bus No. 20-05909 starts with the Südfunk radio manufacturer, who had signwriting logos painted to make it a rolling billboard for their company. In 1964, a Porsche dealer named Vasek Polak from Manhattan Beach, California, made his annual trek to Stuttgart and Zuffenhausen to visit the Porsche factory. Vasek would usually buy a cheap old VW Transporter, and fill it with Porsche racing engines and race parts; then ship the improvised Bus-container to his dealership. Heavily involved in racing, Vasek was known to be a top tuner for four-cam engines in his day; even the factory team would have him tune their Spyders when racing in on the west coast. Once the Bus was in California, Vasek's shop boy, Ralph Jackson, unloaded all the parts from the packed Bus, including 4-cam flat-fours, and an early 6-cylinder engine. Ralph asked Vasek what he was going to do with the Bus and Vasek said he was going to junk it. So, Ralph bought it for $50, thereby saving the ancient VW.

For more detail about this incredible piece of VW history, check it our hotVWs Magazine Aug 2021 issue.

[scottpella]

Thank you for appreciating the time and dedication that goes into creating a rolling museum like Lind's bus!! I'm really happy that patina'd buses and beetles are getting some of the lime-light in HotVW's these days!! Thanks guys!

[tomsummers]

My friend Chad and I both got to crank start this baby at the Moxee last year. Being from Spokane and a total Bus Pilot, I love the Northwest/Boise connection. Write on, Lind.

[VB-bklh]

Nice! I had a '52 in the early 80's, which I started like that more than a few times when the old 6v battery wasn't up to the task. Mine had been a delivery van for a VW dealer in its past life and still had the outline of their info showing through what I guessed was likely an Earl Sheib respray. I sold it in '86 when I realized I could afford something with ac and heat.

[christiansanden]

Never push, engine can strike back, best way is pulling up, just a advice, love that bus❤

[bustermot]

My 61 single cab maxes out at about 55, helps keep my head straight. Thank you for great video. bus.

[johnbowers]

Very, very cool bus ! I really enjoyed the opportunity to do the interior woodwork.
Thank you Lind !
John

[jasonmarshall]

Hey Linda it's Jay Rock from Calaveras County in California hopefully we can get a hold of each other so I'll just wait to hear back from you I sent you my email on one of those other responses but I'm super happy for you man and I just saw and he's 50 the radiant panel van man it is so cool to see these buses rolling around brother so cool

[jamesblackwell]

My father had a 49 bus but that was back in the early 70s

[toddvanwinkle]

Thanks Eddy! Very cool bus!! I love Panel busses!!

[Mercmad]

One day, there will be a visit to the ER for a broken wrist if that method of crank starting the engine is used too often. In the winter of 1908, a woman stalled her Cadillac in Belle Island, Michigan, and didn't have the strength to crank the car over. So she sat there. Another driver by the name of Byron Carter happened along and offered to start the stalled Cadillac. Carter was the founder of CarterCar, which was acquired by GM in 1909, largely due to the company's development work with friction transmissions. Carter was also a friend of Cadillac founder Henry Leland.

When Carter turned the stalled Cadillac's crank, the engine reportedly backfired, the crank hit him in the face and broke his jaw. Tragically, gangrene set in, and, medicine being what it was at the turn of the last century, Carter died later that year.

Carter's death allegedly made Leland decide that Cadillac would rid its cars of the hand starter crank. So he called on Charles Kettering and Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co., or DELCO, which had already developed a high-energy spark ignition for Cadillac that debuted in 1910. DELCO was able to build the electric starter device and prepare it for introduction in Cadillac's 1912 models.

[DemopVWgarage]

Great early bus guys, love the patina :) You can add led's into the brake lenses with a set of custom dynamics leds that fit perfectly and flash red and amber.

[TwoGloveBoxes]

Lind's bus is an amazing piece of history.

[EduardoOliveira-holl]

Amazing video, unique opportunity for those that are far away and do not have the chance to see it up close (don't mention riding it). Really cool down to earth owner and reporter. Thanks!

[andrigtmiller]

I'm assuming that the engine is the 356 60 hp engine, since it is the very first, based on the serial number? Or is it a 356 1600 Super, which had 75 hp?

[a.j.walkerhenley]

I love everything about this and your experiences with your VW. You both are one with so much personality. Gratitude for sharing. I really appreciate it. It has been my dream to own my own VW van. Your story gives me hope that is possible. 😊

[christopherbrown]

The LED upgrade for the lights is a good idea, but you need to use red LEDs behind red lenses for visibility.
It's a magnificent Transporter, keep it safe!

[josseeer]

I met Lind at Red Bard, Super nice dude, The Bus is incredible .

[boostedmaniac]

Wow didn’t know this magazine still existed. Nice Bus.

[jensschroder]

The bus still has Wavers. I mean the things that fold out from the side as turn signals. In addition to blinking, these waved up and down. This technique was used in Germany until the 1950s, after which regular flashing lights were used. But this bus still has these things, even if they are no longer active.

[Vikingdescendent]

It has a modern look to it. Very futuristic. Perfect for the next Blade Runner movie!