Automobile Magazine
July 1998 issue
p. 16

Microbus Reborn

Now that the phenomenal reception accorded the New Beetle has turned
Volkswagen management on to the idea of mining the company's heritage,
we may see an update of the next-most-famous VW, the Microbus.

Just as the old VW bus was based on the Beetle, the new Microbus would
be built off the platform of the New Beetle ... or more precisely, that
of the upcoming Golf MPV.

The project is known internally as Samba II. Why Samba? Because in
Europe, VW's luxury version of the Microbus was badged Samba.  The
Samba treatment included two-tone paint, four skylights along the
sides of the roof, and additional chrome inside and out.

Because it is based on the Golf MPV, the Samba II would be significantly
smaller than its predecssor. And while the flat nose of the original
couldn't be reproduced on a front-engine vehicle, early attempts suggest
it is possible to integrate those other styling elements onto a
front-engine design. For the sake of parts commonality with the Golf
MPV, the new high-roof five-seater would feature front-hinged doors
and a large tailgage. With any luck, the public will get a chance to
judge for itself how successful VW stylists have been at the 1999
Detroit auto show, when it's rumored that a styling exercise will be
shown.
     -- Georg Kacher

<Unca Joel's comments:
  they have a picture of about a 1966 or so 23-window sunroof bus, and
below it, a drawing of the New Bus: to me, it looks like a cross between
an Isetta and that odd little Messerschmidt car, right after the war.
with ONE large windshield wiper. and round mirrors. four doors on the
sides. only the deep V in the front, the large VW emblem on the front,
and the headlights make it look anything like a bus. :( BIG wheels,
in comparison to its overall size ... it looks like a Golf station
wagon.