Definitive T2 Champagne Edition Information Thread

[secretsubmariner]

Recently I have been going through old threads seeking information on these 'Special Edition' buses. 'Special Edition' does not necessarily mean more valuable than another bay of the same year in similar condition. It is suspected that because they were a special 'end of the run' for Bay windows, more of them have been taken care of better than say, all 1971 blue and white transporters.

With the loss of Samba User Karl, I feel the need to fill a void, carry out the work of compiling information on these buses for future inquiries, and for the sake of posterity.

I'll start with some quotes from other threads to compile information, and continue cataloguing and observing serial numbers, VIN numbers, special parts, etc.

I strongly encourage all Champagne owners to pitch in with their build dates, M-Code plates, pictures, etc.

I'll start with words of wisdom from the OG 'pagne-master, Karl.

[secretsubmariner]

Here are some examples of the 1977 Champagne Edition I, inside and out.

[tonychavalia]

Good idea, ive tried to do this with the Registry but not much feedback. I ended up only getting about a dozen CE registered.


Im thinking of setting up a Facebook Group, i think it would be good for info, buy and sell etc.

[secretsubmariner]

VW uncorks the Champagne Edition II.
VW does it again.

1978 brought Champagne Edition transporters and Westfalia campers to VW's line-up.

The 1978 CE II transporter was advertised as a luxurious, practical family vehicle. It was a deluxe model bus, with a stripes package applied at the factory, intermittent wipers, a clock in the gauge cluster, chrome bumpers, Sienna Brown (looks like red) interior with (what used to be red, and is now usually mustard yellow) corduroy cloth inserts in all seats. The headrests for the Champagne Edition II are exclusive to the model and year, as are all of the brown trim interior pieces.

Literature from the archives:
Champagne II brochure- 1978
Champagne II technical specifications

I'd like to thank Collie for being in the right place at the right time to snag some pictures of a beautifully maintained 1978 CE II transporter.

And some other noteworthy examples:

even the dash vents were brown:

_________________
-Tony
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ
1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI

[Tcash]

https://www.facebook.com/VWChampagneEditionRegistry

[tonychavalia]

I created a Facebook Group. The group is call VW Bus Champagne Edition.

Feel free to join, looking for Admins as well.

[73sports]

I have a very original CE1 bus without a sunroof.

72 123 593

4803K2 D09 568

12 4 7228 UD 2218


Here's a shot with the other cars I (and family) brought to Flanders last year.

_________________
I will never lie, but sometimes the truth changes.

Central Jersey VW Society

[secretsubmariner]

[secretsubmariner]

edited*
_________________
-Tony
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ
1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI

[73sports]

[stwesty]

Spotted this on Craigslist if anyone in the PNW is looking for one.

http://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/5185466166.html
_________________
1974 Westfalia, automatic, dual-carb

[oscarsnapkin]

Here's my '77 sunroof, featuring a PO's rattle can blue paint job. I took this picture last fall. It was the Bus's first time being driven in over 15 years.

03/77
Last 6 of V.I.N. - 120018

_________________
- 1977 CEI Sunroof Bus 2.0L F.I. Hydraulic Lifters
- 1973 Thing

"It’s so easy to laugh, it’s so easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind."

[Wasted youth]

UPDATED...

Here is my contribution... VIN was 2272100780 and oldest DMV paperwork was a Temporary Identification card registered to Mr. R.L. Georges of San Jose, Calif. and dated 1980 from dealer No. 9728. Showed mileage of 39,395. Showed same license plate as when I got it!

I can't find the M-Plate rubbing right now.

1977 CE-1 with sliding roof. San Francisco, Ca import. Spent its entire life in the Peninsula and the Salinas valley. Only two areas needed steel work, the battery tray and the windshield frame. I cut out both the battery tray entirely and about 14 inches of lower windshield frame and welded in new pieces. I refreshed the engine, transmission, shifter and CV joints.

It came to me missing the middle seat, and mice had consumed the upholstery wadding. The rear bench seat had a genuine Z-Bed mechanism that worked great. The sliding roof worked fine after I adjusted it, but soon the mechanisms attaching to the cables broke. The bus ran and handled great!

I sold it back to some fellow in Germany for about $6,000 if I remember correctly. I listed it here; it was an EBay auction and it received very little interest during the sale. I totally regret selling it.

These pictures are within the first couple days after I got it home. I found it on the Salinas Craigslist and paid something like $1,100 for it from a young man near Gilroy, Ca. It was sold not running, as is. It was on Planned Non-Op if I recall. The bus really cleaned up well, even if it still needed a lot of attention. It was a really low miles bus... probably the original 86,000 as seen on the odometer. All the doors shut smartly, window mechanisms were nice, the wind-wings stayed put, etc. Last time it was on the road was 1986. It had a dilapidated exhaust system, which may have caused the OP to park it back then. I spent a lot of time and money renovating that and getting it to pass smog the first time around was a good feeling.

I sold it mostly because I had a growing fleet and didn't want to mess around with smog checks. Little did I realize that I would be owning Vanagons later on!

Here is the 'build' thread:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=40

[Collie]

Thanks Tony! I have not seen that bus since....it was beautiful!

Here is what makes my CEII special.....

[secretsubmariner]

Thanks for the replies oscarsnapkin, Collie, Wasted Youth, stwesty, and 73sports. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. Keep yer eyeballs peeled for these brown beauties! The list now contains 2 CE I's, and 18 CEII's (Kombis and Westys). I'm still reviewing many threads discussing champagnes, some that are 10 years old or older now, where Karl or other members have made mention of build dates and serials. Once I have recorded everything I can find I will post them and we can add to the list as we all come across these buses in junkyards, at car shows, etc.

Honestly, I'm hoping we can lay the rumor to rest: "only 52 were made! 26 to the US and 26 to Canada!" with real-world facts.
_________________
-Tony
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ
1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI

[secretsubmariner]

In my never-ending search for information regarding these beauties, I stumbled across an interesting tidbit.

[jtauxe]

I feel kind of bad that I let this one go. It was eminently restorable, but I had other projects at the time. It was sold to a somewhat flaky guy in California, and I then lost track of it.

http://vw.tauxe.net/champagne78

VIN 2282104188
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[secretsubmariner]

If you're wondering whether or not your funky white wheel covers are OG to your bus, or if they're Vanagon caps somebody slapped on them for tits + giggles, think again! They may in fact be OG hubcaps. Observe:

[secretsubmariner]

[secretsubmariner]

My main personal goal with this compilation is to disprove the theory with evidence that more than 52 were produced between 1/78 and 4/78. Today is not the day its been disproven. But we're halfway!

Built 1/78
079468
079444 (W)
079799
081246
082446
082332
084087 (W)

Built 2/78
088749
089395
092993
093915
094092 (W)
096198
097054
098015
098209 (W)
099531

Built 3/78
101032 (W)
102230
102237
102329
104188
106452
108971
109025
109672
110789
112242

Built 4/78
113276
113322
116262
116640 (W)
121880

And so far, I've collected some 1977 serials, but the build dates weren't made apparent to me on all of them

120018 - 3/77
100780
114990
123534
123593 - 3/77

I hope this will inspire some other owners to step up and deliver the info! Thanks!
_________________
-Tony
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ
1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI