Description

1970 AVV349J VOLKSWAGEN T2 Riviera Camper

First registered in the UK in 2017; owned for some time; pop up roof; recently improved

A little less common than your run-of-the-mill Westfalia camper van conversion, this Type 2 VW sports a Riviera pop-top. The difference? The Riviera top uses a scissors mechanism to elevate the roof giving it a straight-up movement rather than the hinged and slightly drunken aspect of the Westphalia. So much more appealing, don’t you think? An American import, as you might expect - and, as the name certainly does not imply, Riviera campers were converted in Eugene, Oregon. Well, would you buy a camper called Eugene? This van was first registered in 1970 and imported from America in 2017. The vendor tells us that the van has had a fortune spent on it and it certainly does look very smart both inside and out with new seats and door cards etc. The van is MOT-exempt but had its last MOT in January 2017 when it passed with only minor advisories: wobbly wheel bearings, an unspecified oil leak and lack of passenger seat. We can see that that seat has been replaced and, knowing the vendor, would imagine that the other indiscretions have also been attended to.

We noted during our photo session that the dash lights did not show and that the battery was very flat - probably beyone salvation. What was also plain to see as we drove it around the site is the solid nature of this bus which could easily become a top notch example with some simple final detailing. The brakes felt good, it pulled willingly and still has the full complement of gears in the box.