VW Camper values have jumped a third in five years
The type 2. The bus. The Vee Dub. The Westies. The Splittie. The Bay. The Bulli. The Combi.
Whatever you want to call it, the VW Camper is one of the most famous vehicles in the world.
It’s the automotive representation of the swinging 1960s and remains synonymous with a fun-loving, free-willed, hippie generation – something that has earned Type 2 iconic status and attracted a cult following for decades.
And because of the long-running interest and crowd of collectors, the values of these vehicles have risen dramatically over the past five years.
Classic VW motorhomes are rising in value: Hagerty says Volkswagen Type 2 model values have risen by about a third across generations in the last 5 years – we explain why and how much a model is likely to cost you today
And it’s a new wave of younger owners desperate for the character homes-away-from-home that are driving up prices.
Hagerty UK, the specialist classic car insurer and bible on the value of collectible vehicles, says the average age of owners requesting quotes for a Type 2 is one of the lowest of any aged model on the road.
And it says that it’s mainly younger families who have picked them up in recent years.
Analysis of Hagerty’s quotes shows that all variants of the classic Type 2 are a hit with ‘Generation X’ drivers – those born between 1965 and 1980, i.e. between 43 and 58 years old.
In fact, more than half (52 percent) of all bids for the earliest split-screen VW bus are for this target group alone.
That compares to an average of 32 percent for all Hagerty-insured vehicles.
Overall, about 70 percent of all quotes come from people born after 1965, one of the youngest ownership demographics of any car Hagerty deals with worldwide, it says.
Why VW Camper values are up almost a third since 2018
The rise in ownership among Generation X drivers is strongly linked to the impact of Covid on family vacations.
The pandemic sparked a boom in ‘staycationing’, with Britons investing heavily in UK holiday homes, caravans, motorhomes and camping equipment with the expectation that overseas holidays would not be possible for a few years.
But long after the airports reopen and going abroad for a dose of sun — or snow, if that’s what you prefer — has returned to normal, there are still plenty of people wanting to take longer trips in their own vehicle, especially with a camper.
The demand for characterful motorhomes had risen so much that the Type 2 was a vehicle that was in great demand.
And this was reflected by a huge increase in average values.
Even the least desirable of all the ‘T25’ ones are subject to major increases, from an average value of £11,768 five years ago to £15,787 today – that’s a 32.5% jump
How much will a classic VW Camper cost you today?
Prices in the Type 2 range are up nearly a third compared to five years ago, Hagerty’s data suggests.
The average value of a first generation split windscreen model in 2018 was £21,445. Today it is up 34.3 per cent to £28,065, it says.
There has been a similar increase for the latest variants of the Camper.
The second-generation ‘Early Bay’ variants have increased in value by 30.8 per cent over the past five years, from £12,541 to £17,233.
And even the later – slightly less desirable – ‘T25’ ones are subject to major increases, from an average value of £11,768 five years ago to £15,787 today – that’s a jump of 32.5 per cent.
So, why does the VW motorhome have such an enduring legacy?
More than half of VW motorhome owners insured with Hagerty are from ‘Generation X’ – those born between 1965-1980. This is the highest ownership share for Gen X of all classics
John Mayhead, editor of the Hagerty Price Guide, told us it’s down to a combination of practicality, economy, and “coolness.”
He said: ‘The Type 2 is one of the few classic vehicles that, decades after it was built, still regularly fulfills the role for which it was designed.
‘Most campers are actually used to camping…visit a seaside car park or a rural campsite in the UK this summer, and chances are you’ll see one.
VW Camper Values: 2018 vs 2023
T1 split windshield: £21,445 to £28,065 – a 34.3% increase
T2 bay windshield: £12,541 to £17,233 – a 30.8% increase
T25: £11,768 to £15,787 – a 32.5% increase
Average overall increase over 5 years: 32.6%
“They’re also a fantastic family classic, which explains why Generation X, the ones most likely to have a pre-teen/teenage family, are so prevalent in our ownership statistics.
“With the rising cost of living, they remain a very affordable way to take your whole family on holiday in the summer months, and as such they tend to maintain or increase their value.”
John continued, “But it’s certainly the camper’s enduring ethos that makes them so phenomenally popular.
‘Drive a VW bus, with the big steering wheel in front of you and the air-cooled engine behind you, and you can’t help but smile.
“Owning a Vee Dub is like an anti-status symbol; it says you are relaxed, you have left behind the demands of the business world and you are winning in life. That’s what everyone wants.
Plus, as our demographics show, this is one of the rare vehicles where that sense of cool seems to persist and even increase through the generations.
“I’m betting on the fact that in 50 years there will still be split-screen buses on our roads, whether they’re powered by four-cylinder engines, hydrogen cells or flux capacitors. And people will still want them.”
The VW Camper: a brief history
by John Mayhead, editor of the Hagerty Price Guide UK
The story of the birth of this car with many faces is now part of automotive folklore.
Dutchman Ben Pon visited the Volkswagen factory in 1946, eager to import a batch of their Type 1 (now known almost everywhere as the Beetle), saw a low-loader based on the chassis and sketched out an idea for a utility vehicle.
In a post-war world desperate for rugged, low-cost commercial vehicles, whose basic design could be easily adapted into a truck, minibus, ambulance and more, the Type 2 boomed.
But for many, the identity most associated with the Type 2 is that of the motorhome.
In 1950, as Western economies began their long road to post-war recovery and families demanded cheap ways to fill their spare time, Volkswagen commissioned coachbuilder Westfalia-Werke to create a converted motor home.
The first units were delivered in 1951 and although the base model has been modified a number of times since then, they are still in production.
For such a small vehicle, Westfalia managed to pack a huge amount.
Fold-down double beds, a hammock over the front seats, diesel night heaters and sinks were all on offer, but it was the famous ‘pop-top’ that instantly set a motorhome apart from the humble vans.
Not only did this provide headroom when parking, but with the addition of a folding bed (which today resembles a medieval torture device) it provided another place to sleep.
Soon other conversion companies gave their own take on the motorhome, with concertina and side-hinged roofs, gas stoves and electrical connections.
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