Definitely the ultimate party wagon. A friend owned one, many blurry adventures were had. The enormous dash was a great place for all your fast food to sit while feasting on the way from Vegas to LA and back. Another friend, his dad was Mike Hansen, who bought the company from Curtis Brubaker and renamed it Automecca. I also had the pleasure of driving Mike out to the desert where the Baja Box was found, and he got to see it again after many years, shortly before his passing.
When I first saw this in a VW Kit Car magazine, I was enthralled! I wanted to build one a bit longer so that I could sleep in it, but unfortunately I never did. But now I think that it was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Unfortunately I'm now crippled and am not able to work on such things anymore 🙃 but I still love it.
In 1971 Volkswagen brought out the Super Beetle because sales in it's largest market were slumping. VW was loosing sales to the Japanese. The Beetle was simply too small for many Americans. So instead of seeing an opportunity they squashed it. Instead, they could have purchased the rights to build the Box and the Beetle story could have been quite different. By 1980 there were no more air cooled Beetles coming into the US. The Box could have reversed that trend. The other interesting thing about the Brubaker Box is it could have been made a bit taller and longer. Taller gives it more interior space and a longer wheel base improves handling and ride comfort as well as adding to the interior space. When Brubaker came up with this design there were some expired patents for a true sliding door that could have been used and would have been similar to the sliding side doors of most of the minivans that came along later. Instead of the sliding door it could have been a clam shell style door.
The Brubaker was the shape of the future, a cavernous interior on a small wheelbase predating the mini van. Perhaps Elon Musk will take notice and produce a similar EV for today's market.
Funny I saw a similarity in the interior with Tesla. The clean, minimalist (they called it "spartan" ;)) dash shaped as a shelf, the large window stretching into the roof
Ce qui interpelle, c'est sa dimension, vraiment petit gabarit et ses particularités avant-gardistes comme les monospaces....Dommage, parce qu'il est joli à regarder.....Mais je pense qu'il aurait eu un réel succès, un meilleur potentiel s'il avait été plus réhaussé et plus confortable en matière d'équipement.....
if you look up all the things that curtis Baker is responsible for inventing you might not be talking ... The man had many original ideas how many of your ideas have made it into history ....
People who seek out and restore these weird old cars are my heroes. May you live to be a hundred and never grow up.
Fascinating vehicle, even after all these years. 👍
Definitely the ultimate party wagon. A friend owned one, many blurry adventures were had. The enormous dash was a great place for all your fast food to sit while feasting on the way from Vegas to LA and back. Another friend, his dad was Mike Hansen, who bought the company from Curtis Brubaker and renamed it Automecca. I also had the pleasure of driving Mike out to the desert where the Baja Box was found, and he got to see it again after many years, shortly before his passing.
Remember seeing one in Gallup NM on RT 66(1975). Love those Keystone mags.
Come on start making the kits already!
Kudos to Mr. Brubaker! Magnificent vehicle way ahead of its time 👍
WOW!! Awesome story.
When I first saw this in a VW Kit Car magazine, I was enthralled! I wanted to build one a bit longer so that I could sleep in it, but unfortunately I never did. But now I think that it was the coolest thing I've ever seen.
Unfortunately I'm now crippled and am not able to work on such things anymore 🙃 but I still love it.
Dude lives in that van.
My neighbor has one of these Brubakers, bought it brand new he tells me. Cool ride.
Excelente auto. Una lástima que no se construyeran más.
Dude this thing is so cool. Just found out about them today on Facebook
nothing new to me being a VW lover and owner of many since I was 15 .
I almost fell out of my chair laughing when he said that VW worried about the sales of the Beetle if they sold Brubaker the chassis.
It would surely have become an iconic car.
In 1971 Volkswagen brought out the Super Beetle because sales in it's largest market were slumping. VW was loosing sales to the Japanese. The Beetle was simply too small for many Americans. So instead of seeing an opportunity they squashed it. Instead, they could have purchased the rights to build the Box and the Beetle story could have been quite different. By 1980 there were no more air cooled Beetles coming into the US. The Box could have reversed that trend.
The other interesting thing about the Brubaker Box is it could have been made a bit taller and longer. Taller gives it more interior space and a longer wheel base improves handling and ride comfort as well as adding to the interior space.
When Brubaker came up with this design there were some expired patents for a true sliding door that could have been used and would have been similar to the sliding side doors of most of the minivans that came along later. Instead of the sliding door it could have been a clam shell style door.
Finaly I found a Vehicle that look like a Crab's face from the front....Nice
If VW had any sense, they’d take the design, add modern innovations, then market it for the current era. I’m not holding my breath on that one.
Cool Car 🔥👍.
How to you see out the windscreen ? Other than that it's a treasure
I want 1!!
I never did . Stayed true to my Baja , stock and off road and the bus includes the square back.
Love this van, however, getting in and out, as the driver, would suck.
Dale, Tomo, we are waiting. Give us a progress update.
In the 80s you featured a bigfoot - like beetle called Ashkicker. Whatever became of it?
This is for sale on their website. Question is: how much???
I want one!
Where do we get the body kits
It's somehow smaller than I expected.
The single door must have been a real turn off for buyers. Cool concept
I never saw one in Texas
Alot of kitten stew in that one from Sunland California.
If only it had a driver's door and possibly a back boot door...
Interesting though
I want an electric one!!
The Brubaker was the shape of the future, a cavernous interior on a small wheelbase predating the mini van. Perhaps Elon Musk will take notice and produce a similar EV for today's market.
Funny I saw a similarity in the interior with Tesla. The clean, minimalist (they called it "spartan" ;)) dash shaped as a shelf, the large window stretching into the roof
Needs to be an RHD version.
Just wish the slider door was on the drivers side.
No windcleaners? No way it is shorter than a Beetle, it looks huge !
Yum!
Eu achava que só no Brazil tinha essas obras de fundo de quintal
Make a mold 🎉
Ce qui interpelle, c'est sa dimension, vraiment petit gabarit et ses particularités avant-gardistes comme les monospaces....Dommage, parce qu'il est joli à regarder.....Mais je pense qu'il aurait eu un réel succès, un meilleur potentiel s'il avait été plus réhaussé et plus confortable en matière d'équipement.....
Gostei. Diferente.
Anderson Jeffrey Allen Elizabeth Wilson Ruth
baisodrome 4wheelslovetrap !
byebye ID Buzz, welcome eBrubaker (BruBuzz?)
I wonder who the genius is that actually thought one door on the whole vehicle is safer than more doors. Insanely odd to believe that would be safer.
if you look up all the things that curtis Baker is responsible for inventing you might not be talking ... The man had many original ideas how many of your ideas have made it into history ....
Love it
But that 1 door "safety" thing is baloney
The door is on the wrong side... that's it's only flaw.
Doug DeMuro will love that quirk🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣