VW Camper & Bus – June 2019

CAMPER&BUS 75

andsleep.Westfalia’sofficialcompanyhistory
suggestshewasaBritisharmyofficer.Whatever
thetruth,Westfaliabuiltaround 50 moreduring
1951 and 1952 andexhibitedthecreationatthe
1952 FrankfurtMotorShow.Itwastheveryfirst
VWCamper,andwhathadlargelyjustbeena
commercialload-luggerupuntilthatpointnow
hadawholenewpotentialmarket.Helmut and
ErnaBlenck-reputedlythehusband
andwifewho’doriginally
approachedWestfaliafor
theconversion-tookthe
Frankfurtvehicleonatour
acrosssouthernAfricathe
followingyear,publishing
abookontheiradventures,
SouthAfricaToday,in 1954.

Boxingclever
TheCampingBoxfollowedin
1953;anovelandadaptable
kitofcampingfurniturethat
couldbeinstalledintoa
VolkswagenType2.Itfeatured
plaidupholstery-which
wouldbecomesomethingofa
Westfaliatrademark.Aroundthesametime,the
firmalsointroducedtheoptionsofaroofhatch
andcanopyawningsonitsCampers.
ThepublicwasimpressedbyWestfalia’s
products.Evenmorecrucially,sowasVolkswagen,
whichofferedtheCampingBoxforsalethrough
itsdealerships;araresealofapprovalfroma
companywhich,atthetime,wasprettywaryof
endorsinganythingithadn’tmadeitself.This
officialrecognitionwouldeventuallyleadto
WestfaliabeingappointedVolkswagen’sofficial
Campermanufacturerlateroninthedecade.
Thisundoubtedlygreatlyhelpedittobecomeso
successfulanddominant,andgranteditaccess
totheUSAitmightotherwisehavestruggledto
achieve.
TheCampingBox,inthreevariations(Original,
StandardandExport),continueduntil 1960 (after
whichit was rechristenedthe Camping Mosaic),

witharoundathousandmadeuntilthen.Two

yearspreviously,inlinewithVolkswagen’snewSO

(Sonderausfuhrung-SpecialModel)designation

forconversionsandfitments,Westfaliahad

launchedtheSO23Camperwhich,inDeluxeform,

camewithcoolboxandside-tentoptions.This

includeda‘privytent’,so-calledbecause,well,

that’swheremostpeoplekeptthetoilet.Survivors

arehugelydesirablenowandthuscommandhigh

prices–thewholeBusthatis,notjusttheprivy.

TheSO22titlewasgiventotheCampingMosaic

inkitform,althoughiffully-installedbyWestfalia,

itwasknownastheSO33.‘Sixdaysaweekyour

VWassistsyouinearningmoney.Ittransports.It

caters.Itdeliversandreturns.Onweekends,itis

yourbungalowonwheelsandhelpsyourestand

relaxwhereveryouplease,’ranthepromotional

literature.

Theinnovationfor 1962 wastheadoptionof

light plastic ratherthanthewoodthathadbeen

usedforinteriorsupuntilthat

point.Then,ayearlater,came

theDormobilehingedroof

feature,closelyfollowedin 1964

byoneofthecharacteristicsfor

whichWestfaliaismostrenowned;

thepop-toproof.Thisappeared,

infl edgling form,onthe SO42,

▲▲

Earlier

Westfaliainteriors

werenothingif

not colourful.

▲The 1959 Kombiwith

WestfaliaDeluxecamping

equipmentcamewithroofrack

and hingedroofas standard.

▲

The 1955

CampingBox

wasavailable

inStandard

andExport

form,although

examplesofthe

originalkitwere

alsostill available.

A

TO

OFZ