This isn't exactly the first time Volkswagen has looked into tapping into its history to create a
minivan chock full of nostalgia.
In 2001, the company cranked out a retro concept which mated styling inspired by the first-generation Transporter with a front-engine, front-wheel-drive platform, a 3.2-liter V-6, and plenty of interior luxuries.
Image via WikipediaThe design was reportedly under consideration to replace the
EuroVan here in the U.S., but Bischoff confirms development and manufacturing costs quickly killed the project.
VW later adapted the Chrysler-based Routan to fill the minivan gap within its North American portfolio, but it hasn't exactly abandoned the idea of a modern Microbus. A resto-mod Chameleon concept (based off a 1964 Samba) appeared in 2006 to showcase a number of advanced technologies, while the 2007
SpaceUp! concept bore an eerie resemblance to the scuttled 2001 show car.
Bischoff notes designers are indeed working on a new 'Bus, but at this stage, they're still facing a number of difficult decisions. It's one thing to make a vehicle look like an old Microbus, but would such a basic, utilitarian vehicle fly in today's market, which demands tech-laden, family-friendly people movers? Should VW create a luxobus that abandons the funky flexibility of the original -- and, subsequently, Microbus purists?
"The key question is 'what sort of car should we build,'" notes Bischoff. "It could be a traditional MPV with a conventional interior, or we could be much bolder, designing a more flexible,
versatile machine -- perhaps one that is closer in spirit to the original model. It is not yet decided."
Neither, it seems, is styling. Bischoff notes that, despite the Microbus' spiritual connection to North America, the current design "is very much a European project." Volkswagen's California design studios -- which, arguably, sparked the company's
retro love affair by birthing the Concept 1 in 1994 -- will help contribute to the design, as will several of the automaker's global design facilities.
Will we see one? Seeing as the concept isn't anywhere close to completion, we'd argue it's far too soon to be discussing a production version. Still, if VW sees fit to push the new Microbus into production, we wouldn't likely see it on our shores until well after 2014.
What do you think, should VW finally bring back the Microbus? If so, what form should it take?
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