Find Reviews by Make:
The VW Bus’ history in Eugene isn’t just tied to the counter culture. In the early sixties, Eugene’s privately-owned bus service was shrinking, like everywhere during the car boom. No longer able to afford the maintenance and fuel for the old large transit buses, a radical decision was made in a last-ditch effort to keep the buses rolling, and a small fleet of VW buses was purchased. Here they are, lined up and ready to roll, with their snappily-attired drivers, just a block or two away from where today’s CC bus was sitting. Not surprisingly, it didn’t pan out, but I’m sure these buses went on to have a colorful second life.
10 Comments on “VW Bus Tuesday: Eugene’s VW Transit Buses...”
Read all comments
Sad that it didn’t work out, but it god lov’em for trying.
These definitely must have been short-lived. I do remember the dark green “shorty” school buses the bus company used. My mom didn’t get her license until age 52, so we were always on those green buses.
Around 1971, the Toronto Police’s Morality Squad (drugs and nudity) replaced their full-size Chev unmarked cars for a fleet of unmarked VW Beetles. I have no idea why this happened, but the burly cops sure looked silly crammed into the Beetles, and I gather they didn’t much like them.
Sooo, let’s see: 2 rows of seats, so maybe six passengers max, seven if someone sits next to the driver up front. Doesn’t sound like a very efficient use of personnel or materials. No wonder it didn’t pan out, even if they saved fuel.
I won’t even try to do the economic math in constant dollars, but even if it only got say 10MPG around town, 5 people yields 50 passenger miles per gallon.
Minibus services are still viable and popular all over the third world (Africa, SE Asia, Mid east, Central/South America). Typically, 14 passenger Toyota Hiaces.
Yea, but think how much they slowed traffic.
Better than traffic cameras.
Have to assume there was never a serious accident involving one of those. To think of the litigation . . .
There are thousands of minibuses (mostly Toyota made) in Hong Kong. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_light_bus
Been a while since I spent time in HK but I do believe that those HK public light buses are Toyota Coaster class vehicles, which is a big step up from extended minivans. Typically, a Coaster seats ~20+.
I used to import used RHD Toyota Land Cruisers, Hiaces, Hiluxes, Coasters, Prados into east Africa from Dubai.