This VW Dual Cab Transporter is ready to shake up the hegemony of 21-window Sambas

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

A rare variant of the Bus, the Dual Cab version was not a common sight in the U.S.

If you have fatigue from seeing one too many 21-window VW Buses go for mid-six figures in Monterey or Arizona in January, we have something entirely different for you: a Volkswagen Dual Cab Transporter from 1962, better known as one of the pickup versions of the VW Bus.

If you haven’t seen these at auction in the past decade, there is a perfectly good explanation: The Dual Cab was a very niche version in the U.S. back when these were new because, of course, America had much more capable pickups, and mixing the body style of a minivan with a very limited pickup truck was an adventurous approach when it came to sales. Volkswagen dealers may have favored this body style to use as a dealership service vehicle for shuttling parts, but that’s about it.

But in a couple of weeks, one of these rare VeeDubs will roll across the block at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge auction, finished in a very catchy color.

Bonhams points out that this example has just wrapped up a three-year restoration by CF Automotive in Costa Mesa, California, and is a concours award winner. Powered by the familiar 1.8-liter OHV flat-four paired with a four-speed manual transmission, the Dual Cab Transporter churns out 60 hp (but very slowly, like the other Microbus variants). The auction house notes that this was a bare-metal restoration after the current owner bought the Transporter in 2012, which also included a new engine block as the original one was cracked, but that the transmission was in good enough shape to rebuild. Sew Fine Upholstery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, performed the interior work, recreating the vinyl seats on the original seat frames.

If you have a feeling from looking at the photos that some parts on this Dual Cab Transporter somehow do not belong or are a little too cute, that’s because a Transporter like this one would probably not have been optioned with safari windows back in the day. But they are something with which a Transporter could have been modified in that era — they were an accessory that could be retrofitted. Bonhams points out that the bumper and the roof rack are also retrofits, but given the overall surfer vibe projected here we can’t blame the owner and the restorers, as these tiny investments dial up its curb appeal (and auction block appeal) to a significant degree. No doubt the bidders in the auction tent will be able to picture themselves rolling down the Pacific Coast Highway past all the “usual suspect” machinery of the surfing community, as jaws drop at the sight of something so rare. With just 500 miles on the clock since the restoration, it doesn’t seem like the owner took the time to actually make a few runs along PCH, keeping the Transporter minty since its restoration.

Bonhams estimates this Dual Cab to fetch between $70,000 and $90,000 on auction day, a range that may seem like a bargain compared to restored non-pickup versions of the Microbus. But while those are certainly pricey when restored (and overrestored), this version has rarity going for it as well because we don’t see a lot of these at auctions here on in Europe.

There were certainly a good number of them in Europe back in the day, but they were used up by small businesses — there really isn’t a greater number of restored examples across the pond, so don’t rush over there to look. And the ones worth restoring won’t be cheap if they’re in running condition. Unless you find one of these for free or close to free, it’s easy to find oneself upside down in a restoration with the intention of selling it later — there are a lot of small parts in these that have to be done right.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this one during the busy auctions of Monterey car week.

Visit the auction website to view the full list of lots, as well as the Quail Lodge auction schedule.

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