We’ve known for some time that Volkswagen is working on a modern version of its famous Microbus, a model that became emblematic of the late-1960s counterculture. The I.D. Buzz has been paraded at auto shows and online on a number of occasions in the past couple of years; Volkswagen plans to begin production on the all-electric microbus/van in 2022.
The company has not yet given its reborn bus a name, however. But we may have just gotten a clue as to its thinking. A report on the VW ID Talk online forum indicated that Volkswagen has registered the e-Samba name with the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
The original Samba, in the Volkswagen universe, was a version of the Volkswagen Type 2 that featured massive fenestration to allow a maximum amount of light in. The model counted 23 windows in all, in fact. In addition of the windshield, side windows front to back and the rear window, it also had several small ceiling windows. If that wasn’t enough, it features a massive opening sunroof made of cloth, and even the windshield components could be opened for more air flow.
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There are two possible uses Volkswagen could put the new e-Samba name to. It could be the company simply intends to call its new microbus that; or perhaps, will it give the name to a luxury variant of the I.D. Buzz (or whatever it will be called), speckled with dozens of windows?
If the company really wants to create a connection to the original model, that seems a good way to go.
Stay tuned.
