The Volkswagen Type 2 Single Cab was the commercial derivative of the early Transporter, combining the forward-control cab with a three-sided drop-side load bed and the useful “treasure chest” storage compartment beneath it. This example is particularly early, with chassis number 165252 said to correspond to January 1956 Wolfsburg production, placing it within the pressed-bumper period. The seller also identifies its original colour as L31 Dove Blue, traces of which remain visible beneath the later red paint.
According to the seller, the truck was last registered in New York in 1973 before spending approximately forty years stored in a barn. It subsequently emerged through a Virginia estate auction in 2022. The 1200 cc flat-four supplied with the vehicle is currently removed and reportedly dates from around March 1956, making it period-correct but apparently not the original engine. More unusual is the modification of the load bed with a recessed footwell, rear-seat mounting points, heating duct and side “ambulance step”. The seller suggests that these alterations may have formed an early personnel-carrier or safari-type conversion, possibly undertaken by a coachbuilder, although its origin and period authenticity would need to be documented before treating it as a historical conversion.
This is very much a restoration project rather than a preserved running vehicle. The photographs show substantial age, corrosion and localized rust-through, while the seller specifically notes that the engine bay requires metal replacement and that the lower valance and bumpers need attention. On the positive side, the three drop sides, transmission with reduction boxes, 15-inch steel wheels, steering components and much of the original cab equipment are said to remain with the truck. The Dove Blue visible beneath the red repaint may also make sympathetic preservation of some original finish possible. The unusual rear conversion is potentially the most interesting aspect of the vehicle, but its construction and history should be investigated carefully rather than assumed to be factory or period coachbuilt work. Find it for sale at $12,000 here in Pismo Beach, CA.
