1959 Volkswagen Westfalia Camper

01

Artifact Overview

Volkswagen introduced its "box on wheels," the VW Type 2 Bus, in 1949. A few years later, VW contracted with Westfalia and introduced converted campers. First exported to the U.S. in 1956, Westfalia campers provided home-like camping comfort and created a postwar recreational-vehicle lifestyle. This soon-to-be cultural icon transported Americans down highways and byways and into the great outdoors.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Camper (Vehicle)

Date Made

1959

Place of Creation

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Driving America

Object ID

87.153.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Material

Metal
Glass (Material)
Wood (Plant material)
Rubber (Material)

Color

Peach (Color)
White (Color)

Inscriptions

Hubs: VW Center front: VW peach-colored emblem

Specifications

Make & Model: 1959 Volkswagen Westfalia camper
Maker: Volkswagen GmbH, Wolfsburg, West Germany | Camping equipment by Westfalia-Werke, Wiedenbruck, West Germany
Engine: horizontally opposed 4, 73 cubic inches
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Height: 76.5 inches
Width: 69 inches
Wheelbase: 94.5 inches
Overall length: 166 inches
Weight: 2569 pounds
Horsepower: 36 at 3700 revolutions per minute
Pounds per horsepower: 71.4
Price: $2,737
Average 1959 wage: $4,965 per year
Time you'd work to buy this car: about 7-1/2 months