Having shed more than a few tears over the announcement that VW Bus production would stop at the end of 2013, and gawped lovingly at the £26k ‘Last Edition’ models which marked the end of the Bus as we knew it, there appears to be a possible reprise!

Yes, the shock revelation is that Bus production may actually be allowed to continue in Brazil if Finance Minister Guido Mantega succeeds in bending the law and exempting the Bus from stringent safety regulations which required it to have airbags and ABS, the absence of which effectively killed it off after 63 years of continual production…

It’s reported that Mantega is arguing that the original Bus design could not incorporate such features as in 1950, when the Bus was conceived, airbags and ABS were not available in passenger cars.

The Kombi remains Brazil’s sixth best selling commercial vehicle in Brazil and reading between the lines, its demise is seen by those in charge of the country’s finances as being detrimental – not just for potential customers, but also for the economy as a whole given the numbers employed at VW’s Anchieta plant near Sao Paulo.

To be honest, we’re not holding our breath for a successful outcome, but have everything crossed that the Bus can indeed be allowed to continue in production. We’ll bring you a verdict if and when one is announced!

Ian