The M2 Machines VW Double Cab Camper is insanely cool. Here is how M2 Designer Sean Taylor made it happen.

A few months ago M2 caused quite the stir with their VW Double Cabs.  6 models, all different, all based on the ’59/’60 Double Cab Pickup.  In typical M2 fashion, the models were highly detailed, but the styles and looks of each represented a different element of the car world, from stock to aftermarket.

Well in case you didn’t know, M2 took it up another level with the release last month of the VW Double Cab Camper for MiJo Exclusives.  Yes, I said Camper.  Of course the VW Bus, or Samba, or Kombi, or Transporter, or Van, or whatever, screams of the open road. I say the words “VW” and “road trip” and you are instantly picturing a Westfalia with the roof open.

But this is a camper.  And it looks right.  It looks like something you have seen somewhere.  But this camper was designed by M2 Design Guru Sean Taylor.  Of course it was.  Sean’s creativity might even exceed his automotive nerdiness.  It’s a good combination if you are a diecast designer.  I asked Sean about the VW Camper.  He was nice enough to give us a background.  I will let him take it from here:

I never thought this one was going to get made. I was really fearful that VW of Germany would totally reject the design. But to my surprise they approved the drawings. Another stroke of luck was that I only instructed the factory to build the camper in 3D first. I figured that seeing something in 3D would help me to convince the boss to make it. Fortunately the factory messed up and produced a 3D tooling/mockup for us along with the new VW Double Cab casting. Holding it in my hands for the first time was awesome! And the tooling helped make this casting a reality.

When I set out to design the camper I wanted to approach it as what if VW itself would have designed a camper back in the day for their double cab truck. So I used as many styling cues from VW buses I could find. The roof is very similar to the “high top” VW delivery vans. I wanted to keep that same basic shape. I put in the VW delivery van intake vents on the top back sides and the air vents on the bottom rear sides. You can see the microbus deluxe influences on the roof with the 8 windows and slide back sun roof. The rear engine bonnet & tail lights are the stock designs. One of the most important design elements was to have the horizontal body lines that flow around the camper to help in the two tone paint designs. It really finishes the camper off nicely. Even the rear bumper is stock, it’s just stretched to fit across the new body. The chassis is also a new longer unit. What I really dig is that we have real interior pieces; booth, cabinets & a sink. There’s even a bed up on top over the cab. I’m very happy with the finished product.

Cool eh?