Volkswagen’s limited run of California Beach camper vans has sold out in just nine hours.
Just 30 examples of the Beach Camper Van were offered to Australian buyers, with online sales kicking off at 10am yesterday.
The less camping-oriented, less expensive Volkswagen Multivan Cruise is still available, but with just 30 examples on offer through the Volkswagen online portal it might not last long either.
Volkswagen has used lockdowns designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to accelerate the rollout of its online sales platform in Australia.
“If we’re going to live up to that notion of being the ‘people’s car’ then we have to be the easiest for customers to be able to own and purchase,” said Jason Bradshaw, Volkswagen Australia chief customer and marketing officer.
“Providing more convenient options for customers to be able to configure and order their vehicle, just makes sense.
“We certainly believe that our dealer partners are a crucial part of our brand DNA, but this allows the customer from the comfort of their own home to choose their vehicle, configure it, or buy one out of stock, and then have the dealer complete the process.”
Priced from $94,990 before on-road costs, the Beach packs every trick in the Volkswagen camper book.
It has front swivel seats, a reclining three-seat second row (bringing seating capacity to five), an awning and its signature feature: an electro-hydraulic elevating roof.
Two-tone paint is also standard on the California Beach, with Candy White mandatory as the first tone and a choice of Copper Bronze, Ascot Grey and Bay Leaf Green for the second shade.
The sliding doors are power latching and there’s also a power tailgate. Inside, you’ll find a bed extension with a comfort sleeping mat, plus interior blinds.
This camper also features a second battery and a programmable parking heater, while Volkswagen’s also chucked in a camping table and two camping chairs.
Due to factory closures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Transporter cargo van and Multivan people carrier ranges have been delayed and won’t reach Australia until November.
They were originally supposed to launch in the first half of this year.
