1962 23 Window VW Bus for Sale
Buy This Classic 23 Window VW Bus - This bus just sold.
But take a look at this even more rare 1957 15-Window VW Bus for Sale!
Uncut rear wheel wells, straight sides and nose, great roof, Clear Title
This is a rare 1962 23 Window VW Deluxe Samba Bus for sale. This is the holy grail for VW Buses with restored examples fetching prices exceeding $180,000 USD. This one will need a complete restoration, but the payoff could be huge.
The 23 Window VW Bus is a rare model indeed. Only between 5-10% of all VW Buses made were this unique model. The 23 Window Bus has 8 skylights, and windows all around the bus including the rear corners making for an awe inspiring view. With the skylights and full-length sunroof it's no wonder these buses were popular for tours of the Alps back in the day. The VW Samba is the Volkswagen-given name to these Deluxe VW buses, and to give you an idea of their rarity, for every 5 VW Bus Pickup trucks manufactured, Volkswagen made only one VW Samba. So these are about the rarest and also the most desirable model of VW Bus ever made. It's been since July of 1963 that any new 23 window buses came into this World. The high demand and the very low supply combine for a very high retail market.
This VW Samba for sale is the same model bus that sold for the highly referenced $217,800 sale price (including buyer's premium) back in 2011. Sale figures in the $140-$185k range are expected from any quality restoration. Here is a link to the bus that sold at Barrett Jackson.
This bus was built in August of 1961 making this one of the very first "fried egg" front turn signal buses. The front lenses are said to resemble fried eggs, thus the nick name. The tail lights and front turn signals changed for the 1962 model year (which Volkswagen started in August of 1961). The VIN is 829739 which points to a late August build date.
This bus is still in original paint, so there is no bondo hidden anywhere on the bus. Another positive is the sides of this VW Bus are very straight. It can take a lot to get the long sides of a VW Bus straight if they are damaged. So you'll save the hassle of getting those long sides and nose straight. Additionally the wheel wells have not been cut, and the radio area in the dash is also as it should be. The wheel wells and radio hole were common areas to make bigger to fit either fatter tires or a larger radio. Luckily this bus never suffered either of those fates.
The main repair / restoration work needed will be lower rust repair. Luckily the roof is in very good shape. The roof section is the only metal completely unique to this rare model. The lower parts of the bus is where the rust repair will be extensive, but those parts fit most all other models of VW Bus. There is a strong aftermarket availability of the reproduction metal parts needed to properly restore this bus. But as far as dent removal this bus is ahead of most out there for sale (should you even be lucky enough to find another 23 window VW Bus for sale).
I deal in VW Buses for a living and I'm lucky if I am able to offer even one Deluxe VW Samba Bus for sale every couple of years. As you can see from the listings in the Cars Sold galleries on this Site, I have sold a lot of VW Buses over the years. However Samba listings are very rare. Additionally, the other Sambas I have sold have been the newer 21 window versions. This is the first and only 23 Window Bus I have ever had the pleasure to offer for sale in over 20 years of collecting and dealing in classic VWs for sale. The values of restored 23 window VW Buses are consistently higher than the prices commanded by restored 21 window VW Buses for sale.
If you have been looking for a restoration project, this one could be it. It's nice to not have to worry much about the roof, and trying to get the sides straight after a collision is certainly time consuming and difficult, and this bus is decent in those areas. The M plate shows the options of 6 pop out windows. Both ID plates are on the bus. The bus has date stamped wheels of 9/61. The very hard to find sunroof mechanism is still with this bus. This bus is unique in that it is one of the very first Sambas made with the larger turn signals and tail lights. The bus rolls, and the tires do accept air (at least for loading and unloading purposes). I sell Worldwide and I can help with a good shipping referral. I know of some glass for sale so I can help the buyer in that regard if needed as well.
This is an extremely rare find and if you end up selling it after a restoration there is money to be made. If you do metal work yourself this could be a real opportunity. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I have a clear title in my name.
Thanks for checking out this 23 Window VW Bus for sale! -John Snell 612-805-2428
