For Sale ‘54 RHD 23 Window Award Winning Barndoor Splitscreen-
I know I’ve said it before, but at Resto Haus we’re so lucky to have earned the reputation to market some of the very best classic Volkswagens in the UK, but with Carl Elliott's bus, it is considered by many, as quite possibly the best in the world!
Welcome to the sale of this incredibly rare & very desirable vehicle, it is a 1954 RHD 23 window Barndoor Deluxe bus, which has been restored to an amazing condition by some of the very best & most respected people in the classic Volkswagen world, but let's first give you a little background.
The bus was found languishing in a Swedish forest in the early ’90s & was saved by the renowned VW enthusiast Jonas Uhland, who caused quite a stir when he took it to Bad Camberg in Germany for the classic Volkswagen show back in ‘95. It then went to the US, having been purchased by David Fuentes & became the first RHD Barndoor to make it to the States, so pretty special to say the least. The bus was parked in David's workshop when classic bus guru Charlie Hamill showed it to Thomas Fitzpatrick, who went on to become the bus's next custodian.
After a couple more owners, it landed back in the UK and in the hands of Andy Carroll & finally, after having had a chat with Rikki James, the current owner, Carl Elliott was fortunate enough to become the owner & finally, this is where a full and beautiful restoration starts. Having had 3 spiltscreen buses before, Carl's goal was to find an RHD 23 window Barndoor Deluxe & he knew just the people to help restore his amazing bus to better than new condition.
The first step was to get it to Matt Smith (Smiths VW) in Cornwall, where the bus was sandblasted to reveal the work necessary. The scale was immense, but the right guys were on it. Working closely with Rick at Alan Schofields, Matt created an entirely new chassis, which was very carefully copied from an original barndoor, which included both chassis rails, all the outriggers, etc, which features seamless joins & even the spot welds are positioned as per the originals.
Whilst this work was going on, Carl decided he wanted his bus to be a little more drivable than stock, so fitted a ‘Big nut’, transmission & CSP discs up front, with dual circuit master cylinder. He then replaced the original 1200cc engine with a Dave Coates built 1500 cc single port, which was taken up to a 1600cc to give a little more power. This, mated to the 16” cross ply tyres, proves to be a great combination & the bus has made a few European trips effortlessly. In fact it was whilst visiting the Spa show that Carl's bus won “Best in Show”, which means it's considered the best in Europe!
Sorry, we’ve jumped ahead, after Matt & Bob had beautifully refinished all the metal work at Smith VW, using NOS panels wherever possible, the bus was then shipped to Andy Finch & his team at Spikes Vintage Restoration. Where the arduous task of prepping the body for paint was undertaken. The results of Andy's work are simply impeccable, finished in its original Chestnut Brown (L73) over Sealing Wax Red (L53). Obviously then finished with the fully polished deluxe trim, OG glass, semaphores, ribbed bumpers, you name it, it got it, as it should be.
Step inside this beautiful bus, and you’ll be welcomed by the light oak Devon-style cabinet work that was fabricated by Simon Weitz of Interior Motive. Carl preferred to have a camping interior, rather than the original microbus seats, to again make his bus more usable & I have to agree. Bromsgrove Auto trimmers were entrusted to do the upholstery, including the full-length rag top sun roof & headlining, together with the seats, door panels & German square weave carpets.
The final part of the restoration was carried out by Matt Keene at Aircraft in Cornwall, Carl had accumulated quite a lot of NOS parts, including the headlights & a good number of trim & seals, so perfect for a bus of this calibre.
The bus has won silverware at every show it's attended & understandably so. Take a good look through our pictures, to fully appreciate the superb level, all those involved have achieved & now is the chance for you to acquire the pinnacle of classic bus ownership for £168,500 , which you couldn’t build for this even if you could find another!
We can help with shipping both nationally and internationally, but don’t hang around & miss this once in a lifetime opportunity- Thank you for reading.