Every now and then, a car pops up for auction that makes you do a double-take, rub your eyes, and then immediately start calculating how many organs you’d have to sell to afford it. The Brubaker Box is one of those cars. It’s not just rare—it’s practically mythical.
Depending on who you ask, only three original Boxes were ever built, and even the slightly more common Automecca Sports Van spin-offs only saw a couple of dozen examples. Seeing one come up for sale feels like spotting a unicorn… wearing bell-bottoms.
A Box Full of 1970s Sunshine
Designed by Curtis Brubaker in the early ’70s, the Box was his answer to the VW Microbus: a futuristic, fiberglass-bodied van that looked like it rolled off a sci-fi movie set but had the mechanical heart of a humble Volkswagen Beetle. Bolt the one-piece shell onto a Type 1 chassis, toss in a sliding side door, and suddenly you had a rolling lounge that could haul people, surfboards, and maybe even a conversation pit’s worth of shag carpet.
This particular example nails the vibe. The interior is laid out like a retro living room on wheels—sofa-style rear seating, tufted upholstery, and enough quirky details to make you wonder why car design ever got so boring. The exterior’s long, low lines are all about personality, and with surfboards strapped on top, it’s hard not to imagine it parked outside a Venice Beach taco stand in 1973.
More Than Just a VW in Disguise
Sure, underneath it’s Beetle-simple: an air-cooled flat-four paired with a four-speed manual. But that’s part of the appeal. Unlike some other obscure one-offs, the Brubaker Box isn’t a museum piece you’re afraid to drive—it’s a kit of proven VW parts dressed up in one of the most fabulous costumes ever made. Reliability is easy, parts are everywhere, and anyone who’s ever turned a wrench on a Bug can keep it running.
And the rarity? That’s the kicker. Cars like this weren’t meant to survive. They were too funky, too niche, too bold for mass production. The fact that this one has been lovingly refurbished and is now up for bidding makes it feel like a time capsule cracked open for a new audience.
Why It Matters Today
In a world where most new vehicles look like they were styled with the same three wind-tunnel templates, the Brubaker Box is a reminder of what happens when creativity takes the wheel. It’s weird, it’s terrific, and it doesn’t apologize for being both. Whether you’re a VW diehard, a lover of oddball cars, or just someone who misses when automakers had more imagination than CAD software, this Box is a rolling tribute to a different kind of automotive era.
So, is it practical? Not really. Is it fast? Definitely not. But is it one of the most incredible things you’ll ever see at Cars & Coffee—or on Bring a Trailer? Absolutely. And if you’re lucky enough to win it, you’re not just buying a car. You’re buying a piece of history, wrapped in fiberglass, fueled by VW simplicity, and forever stamped with California’s golden-hour glow.