Some would say it is a bit of a waste, but it is cool none the less. Into splitties? Well, you might like to have a look at VW Bus - 40 years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges by Richard Copping.
VW Bus - 40 years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges
By Richard Copping Click here for info.
Features Applies to over 6 million VW Buses!
Unique format and style of illustration
Dedicated to the classic VW of the moment, the Transporter
Re-lives the VW spirit through five decades
Contains much rarely seen and valuable archive material
Text compiled by a VW expert
Comprehensive in nature, ideal as a reference volume
Designed to appeal to all those with a general interest in Volkswagens, as well as Bus enthusiasts
A collectable treasure in its own right
Description
Synopsis
A methodical, yet lively record of VW’s Transporter over its first 40-years, which presents the vehicle in the same lavish formats of artistry and photography selected by Volkswagen over the decades. Model history and range development outlined, (including Campers) specifications, (including USA terminology) and performance discussed, with a particular emphasis on marketing and advertising strategies.Independent Reviews
Review from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car, June 2007US magazine
"Volkswagen lovers will find this book a great addition to the shelf."
Few vehicles are as iconic as Volkswagen's vans, and few automakers have inspired the level of fanatic loyalty as has Volkswagen. While thousands of books have been written about the Sedan and its variants, the utilitarian Microbus and its descendants have been largely ignored. An excellent new volume, VW Bus: Forty Years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges, by Richard Copping, has arisen to fill the void and educate a new generation of VW van fans.
The title of the book refers to the popular nicknames of the three generations of these air-cooled rear-engine Volkswagens. 'Splitties', or split-windshield models, were the first Sedan spin-offs, conceived in 1948 to add another vehicle to the company lineup and built from 1950 to 1967. Despite their similar looks, the 1967-1979 'Bays' were completely redesigned and got their nickname from their curved, one-piece windshields. Volkswagen's final rear-engine vans, the angular 'Wedges' built from 1979 to 1990, were powered by both air- and water-cooled engines.
UK-based author Richard Copping has compiled a fantastic number of original VW brochures from markets around the world, and has used their artwork, texts and technical specifications to great benefit to illustrate the development and evolution of these hard-working vehicles; early Microbuses are seen in the beautiful drawings of Bernd Reuters, while newer models are seen through evocative period photography.
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Review from Australian Classic Cars, February 2007
This new English publication tracks the first 40 years of the Transporter’s history but, unlike many publications, it does not rely on period and modern photos but uses brochures, advertisements and other promotional material to illustrate the text. Through Richard Copping’s interest in the marque and the collection of brochures, readers can follow the marketing and advertising strategies employed to present the Transporter to motorists. Extending beyond straightforward reproductions of the material, a narrative provides details not only on what the images represent but also on significant events in the history of Volkswagen and the Transporter.
If you’re interested in motor vehicle advertising and especially the very creative writing produced for Volkswagen, it makes great reading.
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Review by Mark Holman for New Zealand Classic Car
Making copious use of original VW artwork and advertising campaigns, this delightful new book plots the story of the many variations of the VW bus from its 1100cc air-cooled beginnings in Germany’s austere post-war years to its demise in 1990 when you could get one with a water-cooled 2.1 litre motor and even 4-wheel drive.
The artwork by Reuters for the early models is delightful. Author Copping is editor of the VW Motoring magazine and has obviously gone to a deal of trouble to source original advertising and brochures to illustrate the book.
Throughout the book some of the very clever US advertising by Doyle Dane Berbach is featured – “the car that comes in a box”, “… the truck that picks you up more for less” and a super one with a Beetle painted on the side of the station wagon to show how compact it was.
The book ends with 35 pages on the various forms of camper vans, from the factory endorsed Westfalia to various UK and US conversions, with pop-up roofs and rear seats which feature “glove soft fabric backed vinyl”.
You are not likely to find a more entertaining or better-illustrated story of making and marketing these classic workhorses and early people movers than in this large soft-covered book.
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Review from Practical Motorhome, September 2006
VW Bus – 40 Years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges is a 'coffee table' book to delight aficionados of VW campers. It's a labour of love by VW Motoring magazine editor Richard Copping.
The full-colour, 176-page paperback features 342 illustrations, including original brochures and promotional material.
The book traces five decades of classic VW campers, during which time over six million vehicles were produced. It is a fun flick-through read for those who love to look at classic campers, though Richard's training as an historian adds a dimension of detail for the enthusiast as a great deal of archive material has been hunted down for this book. The Reuters news agency images of the early VW buses from the 1950s are especially good and have been well reproduced thanks to the good quality of paper used throughout the book.
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Review from Classic Car Mart, August 2006
This superb new title from classic VW guru Richard Copping is an all-encompassing tribute to the marque’s vast array of commercials and campers produced over the years.
Interest in the Type 2 Volkswagen (to give the ‘Splitties’ and ‘Wedges’ their official moniker) is at an all-time high these days, with hefty asking prices for the best examples and an incredibly loyal following worldwide. All of which means perfect timing for Veloce’s latest VW tome.
It’s the sheer nostalgia value of this title that appeals more than anything, with just about every incarnation of VW commercial and camper featured via its original promotional material, accompanied by informed and educational text from the renowned Mr Copping.
‘Want to get away from it all? Then you should look into our Volkswagen Campmobile’, proclaims a 1962 ad for the US-built Westfalia camper. And that just about sums up this great book. If you want to indulge yourself in VW nostalgia, then you really should take a look inside this title…
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