The Royal Carrige - Johnny's '59 Swivel Seat Kombi

OK King Richard The Longshanks! I finally got my pictures e-mailed to me. And like I promised, here they go! Now, as far was what to say about my bus?

Well.....It is a 1959 Kombi with the factory M-Code 199, Swivel Seat. I have been trying to track down as much information as I can. The bus was built in Germany and sent to the US. It was a special order. The weird thing about this bus is why would someone want to put a Swivel Seat on a Kombi and ad both rear seats? Now that's the mystery? I've spoken to several people about these buses that have the M-code 199 and no one really knows what purpose Kombi's had with Swivel Seats? Mr. Charlie Hamil tells me that its possible that someone had this bus special ordered for some kind of tour bus or sort? There are not too many buses out there that have Swivel Seats. Especially Kombi's.

I heard of a couple of kombi's that exist out there that have the Swivel Seat option. One guy claimed to have one in Arizona, but he said it was too rusty to save. Supposedly that one got cut up? Another one surfaced for sale on the VW Planet. I don't know what ever happened to that one? I met a gentleman at this past Classic Show that told me that he had a 1962 Kombi with the Swivel Seat Option and with a passenger seat as well??? Most of the buses with the M-Code 199 were from 1959 thru 1961. Now this one ???? He did send me pictures of his bus, and it is a really nice original Swivel Seat Kombi. As far as the passenger seat? Well, that's something that I would like to look at in person for myself!

Panel Buses. I have seen those. Charlie Hamill has a 1959 Double Door Panel with the Swivel Seat. And a gentleman by the name of Jeff Keller has one as well. I've seen other ones at shows once in awhile. I have also seen one or two that were campers. They were Panels that were converted to campers.I would consider these Swivel Seats Buses as a Rare Bus! How often do you attend a VW show and see a Swivel Seat Bus? Not too often! Unless mine is present!

Well, King Richard The Longshanks, I don't really know what else to say about my bus? I would love to hear of any kind of advice or information that someone might have about my bus. It did come from Europe. I do have a full length metal roof rack that I need to paint white and throw it on top of my bus. Then I have to stop procrastinating and finish my door panels and install them! Then the bus is finished! I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Francis Austin Maguire (Johnny Jimenez)

Update 08 MAR 02

Here are a couple that I took at the Wolfburg West Grand Opening and One with my new NOS primered hub caps at Pomona.

P0000350.jpg (52393 bytes) P0000351.jpg (41084 bytes) P0000359.jpg (47254 bytes)

bigbulli.com © 2001