Classic VW campervan paint colours from 1950 to 1979
There are around 90,000 VW campervans registered in the UK. It has to be said that Volkswagen certainly knows how to create an icon.
More than 70 years since they were first launched, the original ‘Type 2’ T1 and T2 campervans are still changing hands on the second-hand car market, via private sellers and dealerships.
Some of these are rusty restoration projects, though a surprising number have been rebuilt and refurbished - with new classic car paintwork, interiors and occasionally engines - and are ready to roll.
A brief history of the VW Type 2 campervan
German car manufacturer Volkswagen had created a hit with the Beetle - or Type 1 - in 1955. The campervan or transporter became the Type 2. Two series, the T1 and the T2 were produced for almost 30 years before new vehicle safety regulations brought an end to their production.
The T1 Transporter with the distinctive split windscreen was produced chiefly between 1950 and 1967 (though manufacture continued in Brazil until 1975).
Its successor, the T2, known as the Breadloaf or Bay Window, was in production between 1967 and 1979 (though it continued to be manufactured in Mexico until 1994).
VW camper style and paintwork
The design of the T1 and T2 is distinctive and their detailing and trim are endearingly retro. But it’s perhaps the paintwork that has made the vehicle so iconic.
VW campers are fun. Their bold loaf-shaped body comes off the production line in bold colours, often 2-tone (many have a contrasting white roof, though some are painted half-and-half in complementary colours).
There is a long history of customised paint jobs too. The VW camper is a vehicle that people have wanted to make their own. Popular with alternative cultures (‘hippies’) in the 1960s and 70s, VW campervan art was all the rage.
As they continue their popularity well into the 21st century, many owners are reverting to classic car paint colours to restore their passion to its former glory. Others are choosing from a more modern colour palette.
The classic paintwork styles of the vehicle are still being mimicked: all one colour; one colour with a white roof; two-tone (half-and-half); with or without the accent on the iconic V on the front of the vehicle’s snub-nosed front end.
VW camper restoration projects
Classic T1 and T2 campervans have always been popular as restoration projects. With a renewed interest in campervans in the last couple of years, especially van conversions, they are still holding their own, with these 1960s, 70s and 80s models going for up to £40,000 if they’re in good condition.
In fact, it’s very clear from the adverts that even the old neglected rust-buckets have been admired and even loved. Many of them have been given names - Genie, Frieda, Frank, Tillie…
- Rusty 1979 T2 bay window camper with pop top in Dove Blue and Pastel White for £8,000
- Pristine imported 1968 T2 bay window camper with pop top in Ceylon Beige and Pastel White for £23,500
- Immaculate 1977 T2 bay window camper with pop top in Marina Blue and Pastel White for £13,000
- Eye-catching 1972 T2 bay window camper with pop top in Pumpkin Red and Pastel White for £20,000
- Dazzling 2013 (re-registered) T2 bay window camper with pop top in Maimi Blue and Candy White for £39,950
- Restored T1 split screen camper with pop top in Yosemite Yellow and Alpine Green for £50,000
Restoring a VW campervan?
It’s clear if you do a Google search that there are plenty of neglected T1s and T2s out there. Do you fancy a bit of a project?
These models are tax exempt, which is one saving you can make. But otherwise, there’s plenty to keep you busy on an old camper like these.
- Some need new engines
- Many need a complete interior refit
- Some are left hand drive imports
- Many have surprisingly low mileage
- Some hobbyists fit new gadgets to their restored VW campers though - like satnav, heated windscreens, parking sensors and air conditioning.
- Many have rust issues that will need filling and repainting with touch-up paint
- Some bodywork might need a complete respray
- Occasionally, a camper is clearly an original that is decades old, but the restoration has included a partial rebuild and it has been reregistered with the DVLA.
The 10 best-selling VW paint colours
We can mix an exact match to any car’s original colour, including a nitro-acrylic car touch up paint that is suitable for classic cars. This mix replaces cellulose car paint - it’s important, because classic car paint isn’t as glossy as modern car paint. Our best-selling colours are below - but we can mix any classic paint colour under the sun.
1. 90d Pastel Weiss
2. Elfenbein L64/ V2
3. Indian Blue L5M 9515
4. 620 Savanna beige
5. China Rot 31H
6. Sierra Gelb 11H
7. Elm Green 60D
8. Leucht Orange 20B
9. Niagara Blue 53D
10. 282 Lotus White
Find your classic VW paint code
Unlike modern cars, where we’re able to look up your car paint colour with your reg, ordering original classic car paint requires a code. You can get the paint code from a car club or other specialist website, a dealership, or the manufacturer.
Bear in mind, with classic paint colours there can be multiple codes for the same colour. For example, they can have a BLMV or BLVC code which can also have an ICI, Glasurit or PPG equivalent code – all which would create the same colour.
Confused? Don’t be! Just let us have your paint code and we’ll make sure you get the right colour of vintage car paint for your Classic VW camper.
How to order your touch-up paint
Simply enter your paint code, make, year and key (basic) colour into our search tool and follow the instructions.
As classic car paint suppliers, we’ve also made it easy to order directly from our Classic VW product page.