Barn-find classics are in vogue at the moment, but an Australian auction house is taking things a step further with a Kombi van that was found in a field – and it's expected to fetch a tidy sum.
The Volkswagen Split-window Kombi van is expected to turn a tidy profit despite spending the past 15 years languishing in a Victorian paddock, where its owner resolutely rebuffed anyone's attempts to buy it.
The current owner bought the right-hand-drive van in 1972 with just 12,801 miles on the clock, and drove it every day until an engine fire put it out of commission in 1980. The intended restoration never materialised and the van was put out to pasture for a decade and a half.
Shannons valuation experts expect the Kombi to achieve $8-12,000, with manager Christophe Boribon suggesting that it could be a conservative estimate.
"A multiple award-winning 1966 Volkswagen Campervan sold to an online buyer for $74,000 at our September auction in Melbourne, so it will really depend on how much enthusiasts want it," he said. "It has created an enormous amount of interest so far and we expect some feverish bidding on the floor, telephone and also online bidders."
Those who are interested in the van but don't have the appetite for such a large project won't have to look too far for an alternative – the sale also includes a 1951 DKW Model F-89L Schnell-Laster 8-seater Combi-Bus that has been in the same family since 1960.
The DKW has been well cared-for and comes complete with a thick history file and a number of period photographs depicting past family outings.
