1961 23-Window VW Bus for Sale
This is a Stunning Classic '61 VW 23-Window Bus
When We Get Another Deluxe Bus for Sale Would You Like To Be Notified?
This is an Original 23 Window Deluxe Samba VW Bus. Nut & Bolt Rotisserie Restoration Just Completed.
Comes with Birth Certificate. Manufactured August 24th, 1960 - The first month of the 1961 Model Year!
This is a beautifully restored 1961 23 Window VW Bus for sale. The 23 Window Deluxe Microbus is widely viewed as the most prized VW Bus ever made. Nothing beats the view out the sunroof and skylights on a beautiful day driving through the mountains, country or woods. Just 64,986 of these Deluxe 23 Window Microbuses were made during all years of production 1951-1963. To put that in perspective, a total of roughly 76,000 Porsche 356s were produced until production ended in 1965, and you know how rare it is to see a Porsche 356 on the road today. This VW Bus is even rarer. It is a special opportunity indeed to find a VW 23 Window for sale in this condition.
The restoration on this 23 Window VW Bus was just completed in May of 2014. The bus has been driven just a few test miles and is still absolutely perfect (I have driven it only about 3 miles since it was finished). I trailered the bus to the Bug In VW Show June 1st and the bus took first place in stock pre '67 VW Buses. An article on the show including photos of this bus was featured in the October issue of Hot VWs magazine. A full feature on my '57 Bus is in the current (January) Issue of Hot VWs and this 1961 Samba is also shown in the photos in the article.
You may wonder what sets certain restored Samba buses apart from the rest, and it comes down to the quality of the interior, body work, paint, and the completeness and correctness of the interior and the inclusion of all the deluxe-only items. This bus has the correct rear "jail bars" protecting the windows including the deluxe bar on the rear seat. The bumpers have the correct deluxe trim. The rear air vents have the chrome deluxe strips. And the paint on this bus is absolutely mirror-esque. There likely isn't a nicer 23 window VW Bus out there for sale.
Every nut and bolt was taken off and the shell was sandblasted to bare metal. No expense was spared in the restoration. The interior material alone was $6,000 (not including the installation). As I mentioned already, there likely isn't a nicer 23 Window VW Bus out there for sale. This is an investment quality vehicle that will remain at the top of market as values continue to rise over time. I wouldn't be surprised if these rare 23 Window Deluxe Sambas topped a half million dollars in the coming decade. If you look through the completed auctions you will see a grey 23 Window that was listed at $169k (and that bus doesn't even have the deluxe bar on the rear seat or the deluxe trim on the rear air vents). Nice examples of correctly restored 23 Window Buses have already topped $200k. 2011 saw a 1963 23-Window Samba sell for $217,800 at the Barrett Jackson auction (including the buyer's premium). Just last Month (December 2014) a 1955 23 Window sold for $235,000! Here is a great opportunity to buy this rare Deluxe 23 Window Bus and avoid the costly buyers fee charged by the major auction houses which is often a full 8% over the "hammer" (sale) price.
This bus came to me from Florida in 2010. The previous owner drove this bus to the beach to sell hats he made from palm leaves. (He used to climb the trees, grab palms and make the hats and sell them right from this van!) I promised the previous owner I would treat the bus to a first class restoration. So after a year of raising funds (and eventually taking out a second mortgage on my house--they are very expensive to restore) I sent the bus to Jeff Gagnon of Vintage VW in Sioux Falls, SD to start the restoration. Over the following two and a half years Jeff performed a complete rotisserie restoration. The end result is breathtaking. Jeff specializes in restoring rare and unique classic VW Buses. He restored my beautiful dove blue 1959 Double Door Panel Van that can be found in the Cars Sold section of my Sunset Classics Web Site. He also restored a Velvet Green '66 Deluxe Bus of mine that is also in the Cars Sold section of my Site. His paint and bodywork are unrivaled. He said this '61 Samba Bus is the straightest VW Bus he's ever built. The long sides shine like a flat mirror and the paint finish and bodywork are far nicer than even when this bus was brand new.
The "birth certificate" from the VW Factory in Germany confirms that this Deluxe Samba was manufactured August 24th, 1960. Model years were started in August of the previous year, so even though this bus was made in 1960 it is a 1961 model year. There is virtually no difference between the '60-'61 model years other than a bump in engine horsepower from 36 to 40. That bump wasn't enough to help the original buses get out of their own way (let alone climb a hill without downshifting) so you will be pleased to learn this bus has a much stronger reconditioned engine featuring duel 40mm IDF carburetors and electronic ignition with about twice the hp as original. Driving this Deluxe VW Bus will require less maintenance and is far more convenient than one with a very weak original hp engine. Merging and keeping up with traffic in this Deluxe Bus will be easy and enjoyable. If an orignal engine is desired finding a period correct 40 hpr engine is not difficult or expensive.
Have a look through the photo galleries, enjoy the videos of the VW Bus starting up and running, and let me know if you would like to reserve this 1961 23 Window VW Bus for sale!!
Click an image below for many more detailed photos
of the interior and exterior of this fine 1961 23-Window Samba Bus
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| 1961 23-Window VW Bus Body Gallery | 1961 23-Window VW Bus Close-Up Gallery |
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| 1961 23-Window Samba Restoration Gallery |
See this Classic 1961 23-Window VW Bus in action below:
Videos include test-drive, walk-a-round and more!
Click the PLAY button below for some exciting video!
