Most cars are transportation. But a few are something more. We invest them with meaning. We see them as symbols. Usually, just one owner or a family comes to see a car as a metaphor. But once in a while, a car holds emotional meaning for millions.
Take Azul. Azul is the name its owner gave to a 1977 Volkswagen Type 2 that inspired millions when it appeared to survive January’s devastating Southern California wildfires. An Associated Press photograph captured the white-over-sky-blue Microbus sitting almost undamaged amid burned-out homes and scorched trees in Malibu earlier this year.
The photograph went viral. Its owner, a surfboard and skateboard designer, had no idea whether her home had survived the blazes (it did). But, like the rest of us, she saw the van. It became a sign of resilience and rebuilding.
It needs some rebuilding, though.
Volkswagen will do it. The company announced that it will restore Azul, which took some damage in the fires despite the amazing photo.
Volkswagen has brought back the Type 2 in the form of the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz, an all-electric lovebus descendant that brings joy wherever it goes (but goes only up to 234 miles between charges). VW celebrates Volkswagen Bus Day on June 2, and used this year’s holiday to announce the project.
“Like the rest of the world, we couldn’t believe our eyes” when they saw the photo, explains Mark Gillies, Director of Public Relations and Reputation for Volkswagen Group of America. “But regardless of how good it looked in photos, we knew it was in dire need of a check-up.”
With the owner’s permission, they picked up the car. On further examination, VW says, Azul was in pretty good cosmetic shape on the outside. But, the company says, “the bus would require extensive mechanical fixes and bodywork to be fully operable. Work on the restoration has begun and is expected to be completed later this year.”
Owner Megan Krystle Weinraub will get the bus back in restored condition, likely in time for next year’s VW Bus Day.