Seeking Expert Advice: Is This Bus Legitimate?

[dolfie]

Hello Everyone!

I hope you're all doing well.

I've stumbled upon a '57 bus currently up for sale.
However, I'm facing some uncertainty regarding its history and authenticity, and I'm hoping some of the experts here might be able to shed some light on the matter... maybe some would recognize the van or know about its history.

I found an old advertisement for the bus, which you can find here:
https://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=88431
Bus is registered under a UK company which apparently went bankrupt and closed, but what raises suspicion is that the VIN seems to be not present on the engine bay... and the one on the V5 (1506301) doesn't seem to match the standard for March 1957 (174 402/178 687).

If you have any knowledge or insights about this bus, or if it rings any bells for you, I would greatly appreciate your input. I've attached the V5 for your reference.

Just hoping to confirm if this sale is legitimate or if there are any red flags I should be aware of.

Thank you all in advance for your assistance!

Cheers,
Dolfie

[Lind]

Impossible to tell from what you have provided. It would need a close inspection by a knowledgeable bus person. Pre-restoration photos are always helpful, but seeing as it was restored decades ago and several owners back, those are probably long lost if they ever even existed. Digital photography was not good and common at that time like it is now.
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[KTPhil]

The ad claims "MAGAZINE FEATURED"... which magazine? Perhaps they have more background on the car.
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[velvetgreen]

looks like it has been for sale since 2019 which should tell you something. Might want to google Dagen H aka 'Högertrafikomläggningen". If the bus was imported to Sweden in 1957 as the ad claims I would expect to see the steering wheel would on the other side.

[challomoner]

Steve walker who the article states imported the bus is well known in uk vw scene, retrosteve I believe on Instagram, he used to write features for volksworld magazine too so the guys there could probably put you in touch.

[finster]

advert says featured in june 2002 issue of volksworld magazine. there's one for sale on ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/16018803695?iid=265548469317

looking at the contents page it says bus was made by stuart atlee-mav and the bus is on the cover. however this is obviously a different bus from the one advertised as it's rhd, looks like a metallic red and has a different reg plate.
a stuart atlee has it on his facebook page - 947 AUR is showing (DVLA) as an aug 57 vw with 2400cc engine.

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[dolfie]

Thank you all for your insightful responses.

It's truly a privilege to be part of such an incredible community that is always willing to help.

I want to provide some additional information regarding the bus.

It is currently for sale in northern France, and it seems peculiar because, according to the seller, it has been there since 2019, yet it has never changed ownership. Initially, the seller claimed it belonged to a former English footballer, but the V5 document is registered under a company named Elo Trustee LTD, which the seller later mentioned had closed.

I also reached out to Steve Walker and Gordon Crabb via Facebook, but it appears that Facebook messages are not commonly used nowadays.

The situation surrounding this bus seems increasingly unusual.

Once again, a heartfelt thank you to the investigative team for your contributions and insights.

Cheers

Dolfie

[Sooty Sooty]

[vwretrosteve]

Hi.

Nothing like a few facts to ruin a good story ... and in this case the linked ad which implies I restored the bus - I didnt 😆.

And whike we are at it , I didn't import import it either - and thats from Sweden, Timbucktoo or the outer reaches of the known universe.

What I did do was buy the bus back in the late 90s , from a city around 50 miles from where I lived in the UK, and promptly sell it - to my friend who is sadly no longer with us. It was in his custody that it was volksworld featured. I had a lot of sambas go through my hands at that time , it was quite crazy really - but at around 25 years ago its difficult to be more specific on anything other than from memory it was a painted rolling shell , but not a running driver.


I seem to recall someone else contacting me a few years back asking about the van - unfortunately the *advert* seems to falsely suggest (by restoration or importation , even ownership ,) I may be able to help answer the queries - which would be reasonable had I restored or imported the thing , but as we have concluded these *facts* are merely the work of some fool writing an advert full of nonesense.

The strange thing is I thought this van burnt to a crisp in Europe a few years back ??

It seems a bit strange regarding the missing vin/ log book ...could be many reasons behind it ,some good, some bad and some ugly.

As a footnote , there seemed to be a heap of plainly not 1950s Brasillian vans registered in the uk as 57s - could be a coincidence , but was a bit strange after the third that cropped up.

Anyway, sorry I cant provide the answers you are looking for .. but seeing as its advertised for less than half price and the paperwork must satisfy the dvla etc - its whether you want to roll it around as is or the apparent issues put you off.
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[vwretrosteve]

Just read the log book anomoly... the dvla are/ were notoriously rubbish at getting the info correct when registering vehicles ... throw in the fact that most people struggle when filling out the documents required to register a vehicle, its not unreasonalble to put this down to a clerical error, or mistake by the owner.
Engine numbers are often not listed and are not mandatory when registering, so wouldnt worry about the motor not matching.

The dvla have previously managed to age 2 of my cars , turn a ford mustang into a ford granada, make a 911 3 years newer and turn my friends vanagon into a nsu ! So it does happen and I wouldnt be massively concerned with log book inacurracies as they can be rectifed with the dvla ( eventually )
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[richierich]

I'm pretty sure my 57 panel's chassis number is six digits, not seven.

Also, my license plate is three numbers then three letters, not the other way around.
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[dolfie]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for your invaluable insights and assistance. I truly appreciate it.

Your contributions have saved me a lot of stress

From the outset, I had a feeling that something was off with this bus, and your input has confirmed my suspicions.

Many thanks, Steve, for taking the time to share your part of the story.

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter.

Thanks again,
Dolfie

[finster]