“Known affectionately around the nation as the Volkswagen ‘Camper’, the Type 2 is loved universally loved for its style and quirky weekend getaway intentions.”

As motoring icons for the masses are concerned there is very little that can eclipse the Volkswagen Type 2. Known affectionately around the nation as the Volkswagen ‘Camper’, the Type 2 is loved universally loved for its style and quirky weekend getaway intentions. It doesn’t take much to understand why the cultural camper van boom has had a positive effect on values but it is interesting just how significant this rise has been.

Deriving from the Beetle, the Type 2 was Volkswagen’s second vehicle produced and was one of the world’s first modern cargo and passenger vans. The Type two had very similar underpinnings to he Beetle which in recent years has made them favourable amongst tuning communities and has built up a strong network of enthusiasts.

When production began in 1950 there were 12 variants of the Type 2 available and the Type 2 is still being made to this day. Now in its 6th (T6) iteration, the iconic Volkswagen is universally recognised even if the platform has changed in both shape and name. We are going to examine the prices at auction of the early Type 2s, mainly the first and second generations to see just by how much their prices have changed as this old workhorse becomes a cult classic.

What we can see from the values above are befitting of most cars that undergo a boom in popularity, with prices only really taking off in the last two years. Before 2015 values seemed almost capped at £30,000 and then after that soaring ever upwards with one passing the £100,000 mark! Post 2015 we see that the models commanding serious premiums are the restored models that fit the ‘classic camper van’ idyll with the S1 ‘Split screen’.

At odds to the classic car norms, it appears that buyers of the Type 2 are more in favour of restored and improved models rather than matching numbers originals. Understandable, really, as bedding down on 60 years and multiple owners worth of camper vans might not be to everyone’s tastes.

Style may well be winning over substance for the Type 2 and this charming VW displays a side of the market that we rarely think of or want to acknowledge in a world of appreciating assets, the side where they’re being traded simply for their looks. It appears that more and more are changing hands and that well specced and well restored Type 2s are worth one hell of a lot of money. There’s still a way in at the bottom end to bag a nice one and do it up if you’re that way inclined, and make a very pretty penny in the retro Campervan market.