VW’s Hippie Van, the Kombi, Sends a Farewell Thank You to Dr. Bob Hieronimus All the Way from Brazil

Goodbye to the Hippie Van! The iconic VW bus, known as the Kombi, is sadly being discontinued, and as the last ones roll off the last remaining assembly lines in Brazil, both fans and the Volkswagen corporation are paying their last respects. Due to his fame with the Woodstock Bus, Dr. Bob was contacted by a Brazilian journalist who posted his story on VW’s Brazilian website of fan love (vw.com.br/kombi). Then the VW ad agency picked up on it, and selected Bob’s story about the Woodstock Bus for a special homage along with some of their other favorite stories.


This whimsical print ad is now running in Veja, one of the most influential Brazilian weekly newsmagazines distributed throughout the country. It’s headlined “The last wishes of the Volkswagen Bus,” and is written from the perspective of the Kombi van itself. It says, “Well, my friends, this is it. I have nothing to complain about. I’ve seen quite a lot and I’ve worked really hard. I’ve been a school bus, an ambulance, a fruit stand, and even a police car. I know this country like the grooves on my tires. But to be honest, I didn’t know so many people loved me so dearly. Ever since my discontinuation was announced, I’ve received messages from all over the world. Messages from people who went to my website, and reminded me of beautiful, remarkable stories that filled my headlights with tears. So I thought I couldn’t leave without giving something back to these special people who were a part of my life. I came up with a list of last wishes I would like to fulfill before I go. With this list, I expect to pay homage to some of those who have warmed my heart – and my driver’s seat.” “To Bob Hieronimus, a visual artist who made me famous among hippies of the whole world, I leave a special sketchbook shaped like a Volkswagen Bus.” — a quote from the Last Volkswagen Kombi Bus

Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland, is a longtime fan of Dr. Bob Hieronimus’s painted Artcars and Vans. Here he is posing with Dr. Bob in 2010 in front of Bob’s “We The People” Mercedes.

We think it would be quite something if the team of business and academic leaders currently traveling with Gov. Martin O’Malley would see it during their trip. Beginning December 2, Governor Martin O’Malley kicked off an economic development mission to Brazil joined by more than 30 Maryland businesses, higher education leaders and government officials. See more: Governor O’Malley Kicks Off Brazil Trade Mission; Meets with Environmental, Security Tech Companies.

See also an article on Dr. Bob from bmore magazine: "What Drives An Artist to Paint Cars? "

Next we heard from a Brazillian filmmaker company called Spray Filmes who will be including Dr. Bob’s Woodstock Bus in the film they are making about the last Volkswagen Kombi in the world, which will be manufactured in Brazil. More details on this exciting film project as we learn of them!

The VW bus became a classic design icon symbolizing fun, freedom and adventure. “Light” the Woodstock Bus was designed and painted by Bob Hieronimus, and was owned by his friend Bob Grimm of the band “Light.” Grimm and friends drove the bus Woodstock 1969 where it was photographed by the Associated Press, Rolling Stone, and Life Magazine and hundreds of others, keeping it popular in the decades since, as these photos have been reprinted countless times in retrospective articles, CD compilations, and other promotional pieces about Woodstock.

Dr. Bob said media attention about his Woodstock Bus was especially heavy during the 40th anniversary in 2009. Sunstar Diecast company created a valuable collector’s diecast model measuring 14 inches long released that same year. As Hieronimus has noted, Woodstock itself has become a symbol of America’s spiritual revolution and is well loved all over the world to this day. “It makes me very happy,” he says, “that the Light bus, or the Woodstock bus, besides carrying my friend's band around safely, also carried a bit of those dreams and ideals wherever it went.”

Click here, www.WoodstockBus.com, for a fully detailed replica of the painted bus "Light" of Woodstock 1969 fame! This 1/12 scale model from SunStar features all of Dr. Bob's artwork faithfully reproduced to the original design.