A History of//VW & Cultural Identities

Hippie Culture

Hippie Bus
Any Volkswagen bus of the 1960' and 1970's. Although most VW Buses that are driven by hippies nowadays are of the 1968 to 1979 Bay Window body style. The 1950 to 1967 Split window VW Bus however is the original mode of transportation for transporting at least 7 tie-dies.
I wouldn't consider a VW Vanagon from the 80's a hippie bus. Although, these day it might be the only option for some hippies looking for a Volkswagen van.

Can also be used to discribe the crazy, psychedelic painted school buses used to transport large amounts of hippie. Buses from the 40's through the 60's were typically used in the 70's. The Further Bus for example. However, hippie bus is most used for discribing VWs.

WHY A VW?

In a hippie commune every person is a generalist; no one specializes in anything. The hippie may be cultivating rhubarb in the morning, sewing a patch on his tie-dye in the afternoon, tending to the sheep in the evening and so on. The hippie's lack of specialization in any one skill or task prevents him from becoming, in the Marxist lexicon, "alienated" from his labor.

This alienation of the worker from the finished product of his labor is one of the features of the division of labor which prevails in, indeed gives rise to, the capitalist system which Marx bemoaned.

This brings us to the Volkswagen Beetles and Busses that are now such a part of hippie folklore. Volkswagens were touted as "people’s cars" designed to be mechanically simple and reliable such that anyone with a basic set of tools could learn to be his own Volkswagen mechanic. This design philosophy fit well into the hippie philosophy of primitive subsistence, which was the necessary result of the hippie’s rejection of the division of labor.

The Volkswagen provided the hippie with mobility and, in the case of the Bus, an instant flop house, and usually could be kept running without resorting to the services of a professional mechanic. By the late sixties, the Beetle had been sold for almost twenty years with only a few design modifications. This enabled the hippie mechanic to easily mix and match parts from different vehicles made in different years to keep at least one VW running. This is why hippies loved Volkswagens.

Comically, the new Volkswagen Beetle is a slap in the face to the communal hippie. Gone are the "only a mother could love" looks of the old Beetles; they have been replaced by the retro chic lines of the new Beetle, produced to appeal to alienated suburban wage earners.

The new Beetle’s mechanicals are all state-of-the-art and would not take well to the tinkering of a dilettante hippie. So hippies of today who continue to wallow in their primitive ways pine for the old Beetles which are, like themselves, both primitive and wholly out of date.

As for the unstable, unsafe VW Bus, it has been discontinued while the modern minivans of Dodge, Toyota, Ford, etc. thrive by offering safe, affordable family transportation for suburbanites.

THE SYMBOL
Arguably, the ultimate symbol of hippie culture in cars is a used VW camper van. Many of the VW badges are replaced with the peace sign and painted in a variety of bright designs. Undoubtedly one of the top 10 hippie mobiles of all time, this remains the most prevalent and best known hippie car.

Another Volkswagen possessing hippie credentials is the Beetle. For some this could be simply an age and sound-alike tribute to the Beatles who revolutionized the music industry back in the 60′s. Others find that its unique shape appeals and endless examples decorated in multiple colours grace our roads today.

IMAGES

Surfers

As the surfing culture grew from the late 1950s onwards and into the mid 1960's, the VW camper conversions were gaining popularity with various different groups in society, most notably those with a surfboard stuck permanently under one arm, unless they were in the sea, of course. Campers and surfers became symbols of a relaxed, carefree lifestyle that was epitomised by the roaring of waves and the humming of the boxed-in rear engine. That the two suited each other there can be no doubt. 

The camper gave the surfer a place to keep his board and somewhere to stay when he travelled to the coast in pursuit of his other passion. The VW became a convenient and ever-faithful mode of transport even if it could overheat due to its air-cooled engine finding the travelling hard going. But surfers weren't just satisfied with surfing the sea, they developed the idea of the skateboard so they could continue their activities on land. In turn, the VW followed and began another lengthy and extraordinary relationship with another culture crazed enthusiast, the skateboarder.

This in time developed to include snowboarders too and its still a cherished vehicle for all three. Surfers have remained loyal to the VW camper for almost 40 years and judging by the number who still turn up in them by the beach there seems to be no sign of the love affair abating anytime soon.