Only Surviving Volkswagen Type 2 Schulwagen Lived In An Ohio Barn For 43 Years

A restored 1955 Volkswagen Type 2Schulwagenowned by collector and enthusiast Lind Bjornsen was among the head-turner vehicles at thefirst International Volkswagen Bus Daythis June. So why are we only highlighting it now? Because VW has unearthed the interesting story of what is believed to be the last remainingSchulwagenin existence, including how it spent 43 years in a barn in Ohio before Bjornsen gave it a new lease on life.

The five-month restoration process involved stripping 10 layers of paint from what was presumed to be a regular Type 2, revealing the originalSchulwagenlivery and revealing what the bus actually was. The body and the logos were repainted while the mechanical components were refreshed. The end result is a bus that looks as fresh now as it did the day it rolled off the production line in 1955.

The Type 2 Schulwagen served as Volkswagen's mobile training vehicle in the US. Volkswagen of America (VWoA), founded in 1954, needed a vehicle that could support the after-sales service of its growing client network, and the Schulwagen answered that call.

VWoA bought 14 examples of specially equipped Kombis. It was used to travel around to Volkswagen dealerships in the US to train service personnel, which was also why it was called a Mobile Service School.

TheSchulwagenhas the familiar Volkswagen Kombi exterior design, but the interior is transformed to be a mobile training center. It came with workbenches and drawers that served as storage for different tools. The Type 2Schulwagen's interior also had a VW engine model, which helped the overall training of the brand's service personnel.