From Westfalia’s original to its latest anniversary model
The camper van is turning 60. Westfalia, constructor of the original camping bus, launches an innovative anniversary model on a tried and tested vehicle base. A strictly limited special edition version, the “Edition 60”, will be presented to the world at this year’s Caravan Salon Düsseldorf. The name of the series model will be announced at the presentation.
Around 1950, the then still small Westphalian company constructed a totally new kind of vehicle. It was a revolutionary design that would become a vehicle category in its own right and would play a role, like almost no other automobile, in shaping the spirit of entire generations: the Westfalia Camping Bus. Named the “Camping Box”, it went on sale for the first time in 1951 and now, 60 years later, the concept is as up-to-date as it ever was.
To mark this anniversary, Westfalia is launching the Edition 60, a vehicle that perfectly merges the spirit of the original bus with the technical and functional capabilities available in 2011. To mark the start of the anniversary, there will be an exclusive and limited special edition that will be followed in a few weeks by a series production model.
With this remarkable newly developed vehicle, the legendary brand will be setting new standards in terms of innovation, comfort and convenience in its anniversary year as well. After all, the Edition 60 is the first camper in the van segment to be equipped with two built-in single beds. Regardless of whether two people are travelling together or just one person alone, restful sleep in comfort is thus assured. Whilst in the case of the original model, the focus was on families and the first holiday, the focus is now – very much in keeping with the times – on comfort-conscious travelling couples and singles.
Customers also have the option of choosing the variant with one built-in bed plus a two-person bench seat that can easily be converted into the second bed in next to no time at all. If more storage space is ever needed, the head ends of the beds can be folded up separately to create space for sports gear or bulky luggage.
Despite the space required for the built-in single beds, the vehicle is equipped with a convenient toilet. It can simply be pulled out on guide rails from under one of the beds and then stored there again. This ensures it can be easily accessed by both travellers without one person disturbing the other during the night.
The vehicle’s other furnishings and fittings also feature a high level of functionality, comfort and convenience. In the cosy seating group, a table can be revolved on its swivel joint to provide a fully-fledged dining table, desk or surface for playing games without the table having to be set up by any complicated means. If the driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat are rotated around and another seat is folded out of the right-hand single bed, a comfortable seating area can be created for up to three people. The integrated compact kitchen unit has everything required for a trip: a compressor cool box with a capacity of 25 litres and cooling capacity down to minus 18°C, a sink, a hotplate and a space-saving roller-shutter cabinet.
Thanks to this layout, all the interior fittings can be used without any need to convert or set up anything. And despite the low height of under 2 metres, which makes the Edition 60 suitable for everyday use, it provides a great deal of space in which to move around and stand up comfortably thanks to the generously-sized roof cut-out and the pop-up top.
The new model will be available in two versions. The Mercedes Viano – the base vehicle for the special edition model that is limited to only 60 units worldwide – provides the ideal foundation on which to create a conversion offering an outstanding level of comfort. The series model will subsequently be manufactured based on the more compact Vito.
About Westfalia
Westfalia is one of the leading motorhome manufacturers in Europe. Besides manufacturing motorhomes and recreational vehicles for international automobile marques such as Mercedes, Opel, and Ford, the premium manufacturer has for three years now been focusing increasingly on developing its own models under the Westfalia name. Particularly through its implementation of the legendary Westfalia quality standards and by ensuring the high intrinsic value of their products, the company has made a name for itself throughout various branches of industry. A hallmark of all Westfalia models – from the “James Cook” to the “Sven Hedin”, from the “Michelangelo” to the “Big Nugget” – is furthermore their car-like properties as are reflected by their compliance with the highest safety standards and the absolute suitability of the vehicles for everyday use.
