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13h ago

VW Restores Viral 'Azul' Microbus From Palisades Fire for Los Angeles Debut

The effort used over 900 parts plus 2,080 labor hours alongside a $250,000 donation to the California Fire Foundation.

FILE - A VW bus sits among burned out homes, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
The restored VW bus, which had survived the Pacific Palisades fire in January, is seen at the AutoMobility LA car show Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Megan Krystle Weinraub, left, and Preston Martin, who is the former owner, look over her Volkswagen bus as they see it for the first time Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Malibu, Calif., after it was restored by VW. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Megan Krystle Weinraub, left, and Preston Martin, who is the former owner, pose in front of her Volkswagen bus after seeing it for the first time Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Malibu, Calif., after it was restored by VW. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Overview

  • Volkswagen unveiled the revived 1977 Type 2, nicknamed Azul, at a Petersen Automotive Museum event tied to the LA Auto Show, with the bus on view at the show through Nov. 30.
  • Public display at the Petersen runs Dec. 4 to Jan. 11, after which the vehicle is slated to return to owner Megan Weinraub following final brake and steering work.
  • The project repaired roughly half the vehicle using more than 900 parts over about 2,080 hours at VW’s Oxnard facility with support from GA Kundensport and J.B. Custom Interiors.
  • Work included replacing burned wiring and hoses, repairing body and paint, refurbishing interior pieces, and servicing the engine and driveline, which still ran post-fire with over 11 gallons in the tank.
  • Azul became a symbol of resilience after AP photographer Mark J. Terrill captured it standing in a burned Malibu neighborhood, a genuine image that initially drew online skepticism.