In Search Of The Samba

In which we compile a collection of Sambas and dream of lottery wins and a purpose built garage.

- Richard Copping

There’s no doubt about it; the ultimate Bus for many is the Samba, or the ‘VW Kleinbus “Sonderausführung” (special model) as Volkswagen originally opted to call it. Twenty-three windows, twenty-one, fifteen, or thirteen, the full works with sunroof, or as a tin-top, to most of us it really doesn’t matter. Well, here’s a few that were unearthed earlier, mainly either at Hessisch or Camberg and most of them date to the period when Chestnut Brown (L73) reigned supreme along with even longer-lasting Sealing Wax Red (L53).

First up - pictures one and two - how’s this for a real beauty? By general reckoning, it dates from the period after 10 March ‘53, when the rear bumper became part of the standard spec (for Sambas only), a dating detail confirmed by a pivoting quarter-light and a side mirror angled down - both changes effected on 2 Jan 1953. What this lovely Samba illustrates is gorgeous originality. Let’s have a look at a page filched from a 1956 brochure (post barn door and picture three) and ramble on, (sorry discuss), the finer points of the much more expensive model than the rest of the bunch Transporters. Grabbing a price list dated 10 March 1954, the Pick-up rumbled in at DM 5,725, the Micro Bus at DM 6,975 and the Samba at an eye-watering DM 8,475.