VW T1 Microbus Revival Concept
The attention garnered by VW’s BUDD-e
Concept at this year’s CES suggests there’s still plenty of love for a more
characterful version of Wolfsburg’s Microbus than their plain vanilla T6 -
perhaps even for something as retro as the T1 Revival.
The study was penned by David
Obendorfer, an industrial design graduate from the MOME Moholy-Nagy University
of Art and Design of Budapest, who has been designing yachts for Officina
Italiana Design for 7 years now, but still finds time to indulge in his passion
for retrolicious automotive exercises.
With the VW T1 Revival, Obendorfer pays
tribute to the brand’s original Bus that became synonymous with the hippie
culture of the 1960s. It’s way more retro and round than either of VW’s recent
official Microbus studies - the previous one being the 2011 Bulli Microbus.
What’s more interesting is the hypothetical plausibility of the idea, as
Obendorfer says it was designed around the new T6 with a longer wheelbase.
“The T1 Revival Concept pays homage to
this first series of Volkswagen commercial vehicles, designed on the current VW
Transporter T6 platform, with a wheelbase that has been extended by 7cm,” he
says. “While there are clear references to the original model, the new concept
doesn’t aim at mimicking the T1 forms of over 65 years ago. Rather it tries to
capture his unique personality, "translating" it into a contemporary
language; with curved surfaces, rounded corners, circular headlights, chrome
details and bicolor car paint.”
The designer followed a comparable thought
process with the interior that blends the old T1’s unpretentious styling and
layout with contemporary details and solutions.
“The interior sees a fusion of modern
technology and evocative elements, with the dashboard echoing the color of the
vehicle's exterior, forging a stylistic connection even with the current
generation of the VW Beetle,” says Obendorfer. “The ventilation vents in the
center of the dashboard are a nod to the past, with the original T1 having very
similar grids. Chrome door handles and the design of the seats give a retro
touch to the passenger cabin.”
