The Beauty of Driving a Type II

VW I.D. Buzz all-electric concept van.

  I came across an article today that mentioned the new Volkswagen Cargo bus concept vehicle along with an accompanying photo of the all-electric vehicle. My first inclination was they put the wrong photograph in the article, but on closer inspection I discovered it was in fact the aforementioned vehicle. I was not impressed.
  Oh it's not the fact that it is an electric vehicle that bothered me so much (but it does bother me) and it's not the fact that it looks nothing like the vintage air-cooled VW type II's we are all so familiar with. No, what REALLY bothered me was the fact that Volkswagen just doesn't seem to get it. They don't seem to understand WHY the Volkswagen was so loved in the first place, be it the Type I Beetles or the Type II Buses (or the Type III square backs, fast backs and notch backs and even the later Type IV's). There are two hard and fast reasons why the air-cooled vintage VW's hold a special place in our hearts.
   First is the simplicity of the vehicle itself. The engines are so easy to work on even I can rebuild one - and I'm definitely not mechanically inclined! And then there is the bodies. Aside from their obviously lovable distinctive shape, they mostly stayed the same over the years of production with little variation. The Type II (Buses or Transporters) probably had the biggest variation when it went from the iconic split window front end to the distinctive bay window front end. The Type I (Beetle's) biggest variation was arguably going from the classic pre-'72 style to the stouter Super Beetle body style from '72 on. Yet all in all they were all easily worked on by the average owner, be it engine work or body work.

VW Type II Split window bus. Note the driver sits directly
above the front wheel.

  Secondly, and to me most importantly, is the sensation when driving a Type II. The driver (and passenger) seats are directly above the front wheels. The sensation this gives the driver is totally unique among passenger vehicles. When turning a corner the perspective of the driver is completely different as is the sensation of actually turning the steering wheel while you enter and exit the turn. No other common passenger vehicle enjoys such a setup as to offer this beautiful sensation in driving.
  I suppose other vintage car owners experience similar melancholy reminiscing about the lack of beauty in design and performance in current cars compared to their vintage models, but I do feel the Volkswagen air-cooled models of yesteryear are solely in a class unto itself.
  In my misguided daydreaming adventures I can't help but think with all the technology available today, that Volkswagen (or any other car manufacturer for that matter) can surely come up with a simple, cost-effective and environmentally sound re-visioning of the vintage Volkswagen today and not some futuristic wanna-be knockoff concept.