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From time to time, a automotive pops up for public sale that makes you do a double-take, rub your eyes, after which instantly begin calculating what number of organs you’d must promote to afford it. The Brubaker Field is a type of automobiles. It’s not simply uncommon—it’s virtually legendary.
Relying on who you ask, solely three authentic Packing containers had been ever constructed, and even the marginally extra widespread Automecca Sports activities Van spin-offs solely noticed a few dozen examples. Seeing one come up on the market appears like recognizing a unicorn… carrying bell-bottoms.
A Field Stuffed with Nineteen Seventies Sunshine
Designed by Curtis Brubaker within the early ’70s, the Field was his reply to the VW Microbus: a futuristic, fiberglass-bodied van that seemed prefer it rolled off a sci-fi film set however had the mechanical coronary heart of a humble Volkswagen Beetle. Bolt the one-piece shell onto a Sort 1 chassis, toss in a sliding facet door, and abruptly you had a rolling lounge that might haul individuals, surfboards, and possibly even a dialog pit’s price of shag carpet.
This explicit instance nails the vibe. The inside is laid out like a retro lounge on wheels—sofa-style rear seating, tufted upholstery, and sufficient quirky particulars to make you marvel why automotive design ever obtained so boring. The outside’s lengthy, low strains are all about persona, and with surfboards strapped on high, it’s arduous to not think about it parked exterior a Venice Seaside taco stand in 1973.
Extra Than Only a VW in Disguise
Positive, beneath it’s Beetle-simple: an air-cooled flat-four paired with a four-speed handbook. However that’s a part of the attraction. In contrast to another obscure one-offs, the Brubaker Field isn’t a museum piece you’re afraid to drive—it’s a package of confirmed VW components dressed up in one of the vital fabulous costumes ever made. Reliability is straightforward, components are in every single place, and anybody who’s ever turned a wrench on a Bug can preserve it operating.
And the rarity? That’s the kicker. Automobiles like this weren’t meant to outlive. They had been too funky, too area of interest, too daring for mass manufacturing. The truth that this one has been lovingly refurbished and is now up for bidding makes it really feel like a time capsule cracked open for a brand new viewers.
Why It Issues Right now
In a world the place most new autos seem like they had been styled with the identical three wind-tunnel templates, the Brubaker Field is a reminder of what occurs when creativity takes the wheel. It’s bizarre, it’s terrific, and it doesn’t apologize for being each. Whether or not you’re a VW diehard, a lover of oddball automobiles, or simply somebody who misses when automakers had extra creativeness than CAD software program, this Field is a rolling tribute to a special sort of automotive period.
So, is it sensible? Not likely. Is it quick? Undoubtedly not. However is it one of the vital unbelievable belongings you’ll ever see at Automobiles & Espresso—or on Carry a Trailer? Completely. And should you’re fortunate sufficient to win it, you’re not simply shopping for a automotive. You’re shopping for a chunk of historical past, wrapped in fiberglass, fueled by VW simplicity, and endlessly stamped with California’s golden-hour glow.
