VW restorers keep old 'buses' running

After it brought back the Beetle, Volkswagen has seen nonstop speculation over the years that it was only a matter of time before it revived its equally famous "bus," the boxy van beloved by families, hippies and surfers alike.

Well, it never happened. And Volkswagen officials, rolling out a big, new Atlas SUV last month, told Paste BN that a return to the bus is unlikely anytime soon even though it has phased out its Routan minivan, which was made in conjunction with Chrysler.

But the bus isn't dead. Those who still love the old bus around the world still want to keep them running and businesses have cropped up to keep them on the road.

One operation is the T1 Specialist in Florence, Italy, a business that imports old VW buses from countries like Brazil, then restores them, according the Agence France Presse news agency. The goal is get the buses, often outfitted as campers, back to showroom shape.

Once they are back in service, devoted owners stick together, often joining one of the many VW bus clubs in the U.S. and around the world. The bus lives on!