PICK OF THE DAY: Blue-Chip Volkswagen Westfalia Camper

It’s hard to imagine that at some point in life, we haven’t all wanted a VW Camper. When you think about it, the mere idea of it—a mass-produced recreational vehicle that’s suitable for everyday use—holds enormous appeal and yet has no “market segmentation.” Volkswagen and Westfalia-Werke, an outfitter of camper trailers at the time, did it just because. It is inconceivable to think that it would ever get past a concept stage today. Yet, through generations of the Type 2 it’s based on—and more than five decades—Westfalia converted nearly half a million VW vans that were sold through Volkswagen dealers until the end of the official collaboration in 2003. This was clearly more than a cult following, though it was certainly every bit that and continues to be. Early split-window Westfalias in No. 1 condition can easily approach or eclipse six figures and the very capable Syncro versions of the T3 are close on their heels. That said, not many can be found in No. 1 condition and that is perhaps àpropos, as these were vehicles meant to get out there and get used. After the split-windows, kitting became quite ubiquitous through the generations. Aesthetically, there’s a styling choice between the more classic T2 (1968-1979), the boxier ‘80s T3 version (1980-1991) and the sleeker T4s (1991-2003). Although neither is what anyone would consider high-performance, engine choices evolved through the years from a traditional 1.6-litre flat 4 of the early cars (which steadily increased to 2.0 L) to the 200-hp VR6, with diesel and TDI versions as well. For those seeking a little less embarrassment on hills or in passing situations, they can be modified with turbocharged Subaru or six-cylinder Porsche powerplants without too much trouble. With that, we’ll turn our attention to today’s pick. It falls just about in the middle of the affordable Westy range, both in terms of year and price. It is in many ways the quintessential Westfalia. As a 1987, it has the slightly more powerful (and far less combustible) water-cooled 2.1-litre flat 4 producing a mediocre-but-ample 95 hp. It looks to be exceptionally clean with very little wear on both paint and upholstery. It has had a fair amount of recent service and with 91,000 miles, is considerably fresher than most. All the camp equipment (stove, refrigerator, sink, hookups, tables, swivel seats, etc.) is said to be in good working order and the canvas pop-top appears to be in excellent, waterproof, bugproof shape. The only flaws reported are two small rock chips in the windshield, passenger window converted to manual (driver is power), rear wiper motor, and once in a while an oil drip from the drain plug (not uncommon in horizontally-opposed motors). There are some lower-mile examples in showroom condition available through specialists like GoWesty or private party for $40K or more; there are many more well-used, high-mileage, devil-may-care ones that can be had for $10K or less. This appears to be a very complete (has the original window sticker), ready to enjoy Westy for reasonable money. Find it here on The Samba for $19,000.