’54 VW Kombi

Back when everything was fields and people were using Split Screen Buses as somewhere to store their chickens, the words barn and door referred to a large wooden structure that kept the cows in at night. In much the same way as with Split Screen Beetles, a few perverts knew the difference between a pre-March ’55 Split Screen Bus and a later one, but fewer owned one, or even wanted to own one. And you never saw one at a show or out on the road. In fact, I blame a so-called Barndoor Bus for my long-standing aversion to the type, after a formative experience in one tarred my memory. It was Merrill Burton’s fault – way back in the dim and distant he restored a grey ’53 panel and brought it to the VolksWorld Show. When he offered me the chance to hop in with him I, quite literally, jumped at it. Never again. Okay, so he had literally just finished it for the show and still had to fine-tune a couple of bits, but I’m sure he’d agree with me when I say it was a harrowing experience, and I only went round the grounds at Sandown – Merrill had driven the thing round the M25 to the show!
Aside from the pitifully slow engine and the complete lack of brakes, it was akin to driving a large metal box, and not a lot more comfortable. As cool as it was for being that early, it came as no surprise to me when Merrill sold it and bought a later and infinitely better pick-up. Having said that, Laurence J. Cotton described his first experience of a similar vintage Bus that he road tested for Commercial Motor in quite a different light: “In its entirety, the Van is remarkable, both in construction and performance... Much can be said for the driving comfort in that I felt far from weary at the end of the run.” He continues his glowing report with the frankly incredulous line, “Although its acceleration, with load, could not equal that of the fast newspaper delivery vehicles, the van put up a spirited performance and with reduced payload it kept its place at the head of all other traffic.” Clearly, as he quotes a 0-30mph (yes, 30) of 13.2 seconds, this was a man who had never driven a fast car, but I did like his use of the phrase ‘its place’ at the head of all other traffic. The veritable Mr. L. J. Cotton finishes his report with the telling line: “If competition is measured by the performance of the Volkswagen the standard is high.” And of this he was absolutely right, for this was the real beauty of VW’s design – not only was it supremely practical, it was far more stylish and well built than its contemporary British competitors from the likes of Ford, Morris and Standard, and that’s what ensured its enduring popularity to the present day.

 For the full story on this car make sure you pick up a copy of the August 2009 issue of VolksWorld

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