Do you remember the 1960s? It was all about peace, love, Woodstock and a VW Camper vanto go with the hippie and surfer culture -or so they say, as any of us under 50 have only heard stories or seen movies about the era.
LEGO's latest creation is harking back to that time. No, not the Woodstock festival or the anti-Vietnam riots, but the iconic 1962 VW T1 Camper, also nostalgically known as the “hippie van”.
The plastic brick van is as close to the original as possible with features like the V-shape color split at the front, the rounded roof and window frames and, of course, the opening front window and the pop-up roof.
LEGO designer John Henry Harris says: “Its unique character and charm have made it loved all over the world, which also means that it has become one of the most customizable vehicles ever produced."
“There’s lots of technical building within the model that I think LEGO fans will enjoy. I am also hoping that it will appeal to a wider audience. I think the VW community out there will really appreciate this model,” Harris added.
The toy company’s designers didn’t have an easy task creating the Camper. As they found out, despite its simple appearance, there were some challenging issues like the three curves at the front, but Harris is confident that LEGO has “managed to get everything right”.
“Everything” means details like the air-cooled flat-four at the back, the sink and the bench that folds down into a bed and the folding table, all of which are present in the model, along with a “Make LEGO models, not war” T-shirt at the window.
The LEGO T1 Camper van, complete with hippie colors, will go on sale on October 1.
