Relive the spirit of the 60s in VW camper

The California is expected to be priced around $90,000 for the premium 4Motion model. The pop-up top uses aluminium and opens at the press of a button.

Expect Volkswagen to trundle out catchphrases from the free-wheeling 60s generation when it starts selling modern versions of the Kombi camper in New Zealand next year.

The new models are as far apart from the split-windscreen original as Bill Haley and the Comets are from Coldplay.

But VW will tell you the campers come with the spirit of the original, epitomised when California was really dreamin' and born-again Christian Barry McGuire - the 70-year-old musician recently denied New Zealand citizenship - was singing Eve of Destruction, perhaps the most popular protest song of the 60s. It was No 1 in the US and No 3 in Britain in 1965. It made the top 10 in New Zealand.

The VW van has been synonymous with freedom and leisure for 50 years. It was a mobile home to generations of young New Zealanders and Australians on their OE around Europe.

VW chairman Dr Bernd Pischetsrieder knows its place in the world. "The VW bus was never just a means of transport - it has always been an emotive cult object," he said.

An advertising slogan for Kombis in the 70s said: "Not just a vehicle, more a way of life."

Many carmakers have tried to copy the original. Some have arguably done a better job, from a packaging and efficiency point of view. But none has succeeded in capturing the Kombi's true essence, whatever body style it came in.

An original split-windscreen model in tip-top condition is now much sought-after, fetching up to $20,000. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver owns a purple 1959 example.

The new Kombi range is called the California. It is based on a reinforced platform of the T5 Transporter and comes in three models: the entry-level hardtop Kombi Beach, and pop-up campers California and California 4x4.

Each is powered by a choice five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbodiesel engines, one developing 128kW (174bhp) and 400Nm of torque and the other 96kW (128bhp) and around 340Nm.

Power goes to the front-drive models via a six-speed Tiptronic transmission. The all-wheel-drive (4Motion) examples get a six-speed manual gearbox.

VW New Zealand commercial vehicle manager Shane Jones says he has customers "chomping at the bit" to get in the California, expected to be priced around $90,000 for the premium 4Motion model.

"We are not sure about bringing in the Beach though," he said. "It is unlikely at this stage.

"It comes only in one colour, a dark grey, with a choice of orange, lime green, or cobalt blue vinyl surround around the waistline.

"It is a basic model, with bench seats that make a bed in the back and a collapsible table, whereas the California models have everything that opens and shuts.

"But if there is demand for the Beach then we will look at it again."

Jones is also planning to supply the rental camper market with a lower-spec California.

"It will have steel wheels and won't be as fancy or tricked-up. But it will certainly have everything the casual holidaymaker needs."

The pop-up roof in early Kombi campers was made of fibreglass and canvas and had to be physically locked into place. The new model uses aluminium and opens at the press of a button.

Says VW: "Along with the obvious savings in weight - 25 per cent less than glass-fibre reinforced plastic - it opens up better options for recycling at the end of the vehicle's life."

The use of aluminium continues inside. The furniture is made of aluminium boards with a corrugated core and covered with a timber finish.

The multi-purpose table sits in the interior cladding of the sliding door. Four foldout legs allow it to be used either inside or outside the vehicle.

There is also a kitchen sink, two-burner gas cooktop, 42-litre compressor fridge, and storage cupboards.

VW says the wider and higher roof provides more room for the upper bed. Two additional sleeping spaces are provided by the twin bench seat, which folds out into a double bed.

The safety features in the Kombi Beach and California are pretty much standard for its intended market and include anti-lock brakes and stability control.

Volkswagen launched the original four-cylinder Kombi van in Europe in 1949.

It had a split windscreen, seating for nine, 21 windows, an air-cooled engine in the rear and was based on a 1947 design by Dutch VW importer Ben Pon. His concept was simple: he sketched a rectangle on top of the existing Beetle platform.

VW codenamed it the T1 but over the years it has been called everything from Kombi to Caravelle. It introduced it to the American market in 1950, where it was called the Microbus and sold as a station wagon to make it more palatable to consumers who never heard of using a van for every day driving.

The carmaker's advertising agency based its campaign on the success of the Beetle's "Think Small" message. Only the Kombi ads told Americans to "Think Tall."

VW America sold more than 325,000 Kombis between 1950 and 1966, when they became popular transport for the hippie generation, either as a van, double-cab or pick-up.

In 1967 the second-generation model, called the T2, appeared. It had a flatter front, one-pane windscreen, sliding side door and more powerful engine.

VW America sold 433,594 T2 models between 1967 and 1978. In 1979 the third-generation T3 appeared, called the Vanagon. It had better aerodynamics and offered optional four-wheel-drive.

In 1983, VW replaced the air-cooled engine with a water-cooled powerplant. Americans bought 191,158 models of the Vanagon before it was replaced in 1992 by the all-new fourth-generation T4, which came with an engine in the front.