75 years of the VW Bulli: Making history together
Hardly any other car has evoked as many emotions - across generations - as the VW Bulli. This year it celebrated its 75th birthday, reason enough to ask Bulli and VW fans such as musicians Marc Trauffer and Pat Burgener about their stories with the rolling legend.
The VW T1, or VW Bulli as it is affectionately known, is the longest-built commercial vehicle in Europe. On March 8, 1950, the first Bulli rolled off the production line at the plant in Wolfsburg (Germany). But the VW is much more than that: it is also a symbol of a way of life. Nicol Fleissner, the new brand manager of VW Commercial Vehicles in Switzerland, also emphasizes this: «We are also in the middle of a transformation phase for commercial vehicles. Since I started in January, I haven't been bored for a minute, and I wouldn't want to miss a minute of it.»
More than 13 million units
She also associates many positive emotions with the Bulli. «And when you can talk about Bulli stories and 75 years of the VW T1 - like here with Marc Trauffer and Pat Burgener - it's a welcome contrast to everyday life, where it's all about sales figures and sales contracts. This oldie simply puts a smile on everyone's face.» The VW T1, whose story began as a simple drawing by Dutch VW importer Ben Pon during a factory visit in Wolfsburg (Germany), has since been built more than 13 million times. From the T1 to the T6.1, the sixth generation, one platform has always provided the basis for all derivatives - from the Transporter to the Multivan to the camper icons. And now the ID. Buzz - also available as a cargo version - is now cruising the Swiss roads as an electric descendant and also has the potential to become an icon.
Clear the stage for the Trauffer Edition
With such an ID. Buzz, «Alpentainer» Marc Trauffer is also on the road. Recently, there has even been an exclusive Trauffer edition of the ID. Buzz GTX with references to his iconic black stage outfit complete with noble whites. «My connection with VW goes back a long way. I once started out with the support of a local VW dealer and have now been working closely with VW Commercial Vehicles itself for years,» says the hotelier, musician and toy producer from Hofstetten near Brienz BE.
Trauffer particularly appreciates the space and versatility of his VW: «I have two Bernese mountain dogs, but I can also easily fit a keyboard and amplifier in my ID. Buzz. An old van would be great, but I'm not mechanically skilled enough to work on it. That's why my Stromer is perfect for me.» The car is like a small vacation apartment. When asked whether he is a good driver, Marc Trauffer replies glibly: «If you ask my accountant, I'm mainly a fast driver.»
An ode to the unique feeling of freedom
Snowboarder and songwriter Pat Burgener rides down the halfpipe fast, but above all tricky. The Swiss-Brazilian dual citizen will soon be competing at the Olympic Games in Milan - after finishing eleventh in Beijing 2022 - this time for the Samba nation for the first time. On the road, Pat Burgener can be seen in a specially branded ID. Buzz or a VW California.
«Once you've been on the road in a VW bus, you won't want any other car,» says Burgener. «I recommend everyone to take a test drive. The driving experience is brilliant.» Perhaps that's why the man from Lausanne managed to capture this feeling so aptly in the official launch song «Free» for the new VW California. «It was incredible fun. It's simply brilliant to write stories together - and to write history with the VW Bulli and all its successor generations!»
