TheSamba.com :: View topic - Info: Original Aero Papyrus interior on Sea Blue Deluxe Buses

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:21 pm

Info: Original Aero Papyrus interior on Sea Blue Deluxe Buses (66+67)

Intro:
So as we own a 1967 sea blue deluxe bus, which we bought after the previous owner had already started on tearing apart the interior and re-upholstering the seats, i was always looking for original interior pics and details as a reference on how it should really look and on how to fit the interior on our own bus.

I used the search function in the forum to see if there are already any existing threads. I only found a few topics that had been started lots of years ago, often only with a couple of posts and from the early 2000s - and they basically didn't contain the information that i was looking for. So therefore i decided to start a new thread and fill it with all kinds of references that i stumbled upon.

Here i want to post photos and collect all kind of info that show how the original Aero Papyrus interior looked back then, by posting some photos of the insides of survivor buses that still had their original interior panels and all kind of details. I saw that some owners on the forum managed to find some fabrics that come somewhat close to the original - but i haven't seen seat covers or interior panels yet that are serial made, really look like the original ones and available in the known spare parts shops around the web. So i hope this thread will also help guys in the future in picking the right fabrics and interior pics for restoring their Sea Blue Deluxe buses.

#aeropapyrus #seablue #deluxe

Details, numbers and color codes:

Model years: 1966 to 1967
Date: August 1965 to July 1967
Chassis numbers: From 216 000 001 up to 217 148 459
Model types: 24/25 - Microbus Deluxe
Model | Description
241 | Cargo doors right, left hand drive, full middle seat
244 | Cargo doors left, right hand drive, full middle seat
251 | Cargo doors right, left hand drive, short middle seat
- so this applies to 13 window deluxes, 15 window deluxes as well as 21 window Deluxes ("Samba").
Paint & Upholstery:
Color lower part: Paint Code: L360 - Sea Blue
VW Code: ( 12 )

Color upper part:
Paint code: L680 - Cumulus White
VW Code: ( 18 )

Upholstery (Deluxe):
"Aero Papyrus"
VW Code: ( 72 )

Rubber Floor mat (Deluxe):
"983 strato"
(i have often read about this floor mat referred to as "blue" during my online search)

:!: Please note: :!:
If you have a 1965 bus (speaking of model year), please note that it originally came with a mesh grey interior and not with the aero papyrus that is shown in this thread.
Same applies for non-deluxe, but standard seablue 1966 and 1967 buses.
Source: Model info
Source: Paint/Upholstery info

Example photo:
This photo was originally uploaded 2005 and is listed as the example image for aero papyrus upholstery on the "Technical: Paint/Upholstery" - page on TheSamba as the pictured bus still had the original seats and panels from VW factory.

M-Plate details:
Here is an example of an M-plate with the original paint-code sticker beneath. The sticker has the paint codes in german language written on it, so "Seeblau" and "Cumulusweiß".
Does anyone know if this particular L360 / L680 is still available somewhere as a repro? Everywhere i looked, i only found "Seeblau" ones.

fig wrote:

Source: fig | original thread

1. Line: planned production date (Day - Month)
So in this case 21st of February.

2. + 3. Line: M-Codes
These numbers resemble the m-codes which describe the unique equipment the car was fitted with. I won't go into detail here as the are unique on every car.

4. Line: Destination, model, interior and VIN
The two letters reveal the original destination of the car. SF for South Africa in this case.
The following 4 digits describe the model. 244 for Microbus Deluxe RHD (6 for?)
Next 6 digit group shows the VW codes that describe paint and upholstery.
See Paint & Upholserty info above --> 1218 for the paint ( 12 ) for L360 Sea Blue, ( 18 ) for Cumulus White and ( 72 ) for the interior Aero Papyrus.
And finally the last 7 digits show parts of the VIN. The first number tells you the model year, so in this case a 7 for 1967, followed by 6 other numbers that tell the serial number.
So the bus in our example with 097XXX (last 3 numbers censored), is about the 97.000th 1967 bus built.

Interior example photos:
The following few posts will show some references of original aero papyrus interior panels and other equipment.
:!: Please note, that depending on the photo quality and lighting situation of each photo - and also due to several other impacts that the interior received over the decades (strong sun, or wet climate, heavy use of the seats etc..) - the colors might appear different from one example to the next. But i really collected lots of pics, so that might help to build an impression of what is original.

Please also do consider, that on some occasions, some shown parts might not be in OG condition anymore.
For example in some pics the front seats might already have received a new upholstery.
Or often you still see some blue handles, will others already show later, white replacement ones.
But in general i tried to only choose photos with mostly original aero papyrus interior.
And i really think they help to get an impression of what it looked like back then and also to find out, which handles and other accessoires the buses had back then.

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:22 pm

camerod wrote: 1966 13 window - walk-through
one owner, old lady - always garaged.

Source - original thread

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:23 pm

jjjjack wrote: It's a blue rubber that matches the color of the floor mats, but with a finer ribbing.

Source | original thread

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:24 pm

Aiko wrote:
Source: original thread

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:25 pm

aah57 wrote:
1967 13 window deluxe - walk through

Soure: user gallery of aah57

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:26 pm

WindyCityVW wrote: Thread from 2009: "1967 13 Window Deluxe Preservation"

Source - Original thread from 2009

AustroBus wrote:
The exact same bus 5 years later at an auction in Germany, 2014:

Source - Original thread from 2009

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:27 pm

d-rick wrote:

Source: user gallery of d-rick

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:28 pm

scottvw wrote:

Source: 66 Deluxe - by scottvw | original thread

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:28 pm

icemanhd wrote:

Source: original thread

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:29 pm

Huetti_1989 wrote:
Source: 67 Sparsamba repair from Austria

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:30 pm

The following pics have been posted by @alex_vw_holmes on Instagram in June 2019.
He kindly gave me permission to post them here.

The photos show the heavy used interior of a pretty rough 1967 13 window deluxe bus:

And also he had some more interesting pics of another 1967 sea blue deluxe with walk-through that he posted in March 2020:

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:31 pm

Thesamba User "Kombi65" posted some interesting photos of his original interior bus on instagram as well.
It is a 1966 13 window deluxe with walk-through.
You can find him via @genesvdubs and of course he gave me permission as well.
The exact sources to the photos can be found in the photo description of my gallery.

2017: front seats in original condition

2018: rear bench can be seen

2024: front seats received a re-upholstery

This bus was issued in "VW Camper & Bus Magazine February 2021" (Volksworld) - page 34.

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:34 pm

All the old interior panels that came with our own bus (previous owner had already disassembled them):

some pics as we test-mounted the old interior panels on our bus:
(during restoration, headliner material is already new)

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:36 pm

Detail photos by Clara - showing fabrics and structures of OG interior panel leftovers:

Clara wrote:

Source: "Clara" User gallery

Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:50 pm

Driver Cab - front floor mat LHD examples
the typical "blue" mat = strato.
part number: 211 863 711 E
(letter may vary)

EverettB wrote:

Source: original thread

And here is a pic of a strato mat for the passenger area.
I saved them from a facebook post couple of years ago.
The detail pic shows a part number: 221 224 281 863 731
but my search results said that this is the real spare parts #: 221 863 731
source

Thu Oct 30, 2025 1:07 pm

Some more pictures that i found in our own resto sub...

front cab mat and kick panels:

walk-through rubber floor (diamond grid --> click and zoom into the photos!)
--> in this sub you can learn more about the grid differences of the walk-through mat, which has a diamond pattern.

and something that i learned today while posting:
the compartment under the dashboard also was glued with the aero papyrus fabric (blue)
(you can still see the yellow glue stain rests on the pic below)

Source: original thread

Thu Oct 30, 2025 4:40 pm

October 7th 1965, '66 model. Had Steel colored grab handles on the middle seat and bulkhead.

Still have a brand new and complete set of Matt Miller sewn seat covers, and matching door cards from Clara, all with the Deutsch Polster Aero Papyrus/Steel material.

Aero Papyrus/Steel seat cover replacement thread:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726960

Need to get back to this. The front seats are completed and installed currently, but the middle seat is waiting on finishing the back rest, and getting the grab handle vinyl material dyed the same Steel color as the new arm rests.

Fri Oct 31, 2025 3:21 pm

Love this thread. Just recently purchased this og '67 13 window. Above average og interior with almost flawless headliner except front seat needs attention. Just received sample card from Deutsch Polster

Sat Nov 01, 2025 8:09 am

Weird all the grab handles in my bus (and a few others on here) are not blue. I am almost positive they were never swapped out.

Sat Nov 01, 2025 9:09 am

KWZ wrote: Weird all the grab handles in my bus (and a few others on here) are not blue. I am almost positive they were never swapped out.

From what I can tell, the middle seat grab handle and bulkhead grab handle are blue (Steel?) with black ends for 1966 blue/white deluxe buses, but white for the 1967s.
I am not sure exactly when the change was, and have not looked it up in the parts list to see if a change is listed there. Is yours a 67?

The blue (strato?) front floor, cargo floor, and seat stand mats, and bulkhead lower rubber are all not available new, but add to the ambiance.