Some words or concepts just don’t translate well from English to German, like Country Squire. I just spent twenty minutes trying to find the most suitable translation for the word. And it still doesn’t feel just right. Kind of like this attempt to make a Country Squire VW bus. Even if Landesherr is the right word, it certainly would have made a lousy name for a vehicle. But it sure makes for a nice contrast to today’s Country Squire.
Of course, if VW had made a voody van, they quite likely would have taken this approach: a durable wood-grain paint finish on the sheet metal, instead of flaky Di-Noc.
The VW bus certainly had better sitting accommodations than the Country Squire, with its tall, upright bus seating. And even with eight on board, there was still a fair amount of luggage space. Of course, its 2.0 L four didn’t quite pack the torque of Ford’s big lazy eights. Especially with an automatic, and (God forbid) air conditioning. But that didn’t keep a fair number of folks from choosing the Volkswagen. And at least one of them wishes there had been a Gutsherr version.
I think I prefer the VW version. I didn’t need the wood to think that way. I still think the toyota engine would have been an upgrade. I think the road cow is still on the web if you enjoy that sort of thing (and I do).
Nah, no way…the PT Dream Cruiser looks the part. A VW Bus? Uh…jury’s out on this, as I can’t say I hate it.
I spent some time in various VW buses in my air force years, but my favorite was one guy’s VW with the flip-out dual windshields. Now those were cool, and on Okinawa it was mandatory! Best thing since the Model T.
Looking at the wood paneling treatment – you know, it kind of reminds me of those brush-on, do-it-yourself kits for antiquing funiture!
I’ve seen worse.
If we consider contact paper…I “walnut paneled” the jet stripe on dad’s 1960 Impala! It looked real sharp, even if I do say so myself.
Many metal appliances and auto dashboards had this painted-wood grain treatment many years ago, too. My parents’ 1960ish-vintage RCA B&W 21″ TV: A huge wood-grained steel case on legs. Also some brown plastic components such as tone arms had a kind of marbled mixture to give a wood-like effect.
I was just about to say how horrible this looks. Then I saw the Ford underneath.
Needs whitewalls.
Alternate translations for country squire:
Schildknappe
Landedelmann (say that fast after 5 beers…)
my personal favorite: Landjunker
Imagine: a Kombi with a 1.4 L (~88 cubic inch) engine, painted in flat colors, called the Landjunker 88…
Although Gutsherr has a certain ring to it. No, not really…
I never really was on board with the whole idea of adding, um, boards to a car. I guess it was neat back in the day, but by about 1969 it really should have been ignored.
Of course, no one asked my opinion back then.
You should be in marketing. That’s very funny.
Oddly, I was in marketing in an house ad agency, back in the 80’s…
I was just waiting for you to find some better terms than google was able to. Landjunker for sure…
I *****love***** that!
(And love, as everyone knows, is a many-splendored thing.)
Used to be I mainly just liked the split window buses, but ever since owning both styles I’ve a strong preference for the bay window versions. The type IV powered ’72 and up were the most quiet, practical, and comfortable, too.
Show this one to Mr. Tactful! He seems to love broughamy cars that most people think look like total eyesores like this (eyesore) and the Bustleback Seville (which I love for it’s weirdness)! It would be perfect for him!
Note:No harm of offense is meant by this comment
Well, there were ’40 Ford and Rolls Royce kits for VW Beetles, so how about a Country Squire kit for Transporters – with whitewalls, of course:
I like where this is going, especially how that front end would look.
My 66 bug was like a 2nd skin to me. But the one time I drove a microBus…wow, was that scary. There’s just something about having nothing but a thin piece of steel and a couple inches between your kneecaps and whatever you hit.
But this conversion kit takes care of that problem nicely and in style. And the tasteful whitewalls are just the ticket. Ausgeseichnet!
Yup, my Grandparents barely survived a VW bus accident in Ghana in 1980. I don’t know how smart it was to drive fast at night in Africa, but he hit a truck that had broken down and been left in the middle of the road. Ouch!
How about Landesherr?