The Palisades fire tore its way through western Los Angeles County in January of 2025, swelling to 17,000 acres, destroying nearly 7,000 buildings, and claiming the lives of 12 people. (That’s not even counting the simultaneous Eaton fire which burned farther east.) Amidst all the blackened devastation, though, a single 1977 Volkswagen Type 2 quietly told the rampaging wildfire to bug off, staunchly remaining shiny and blue.
That made for such a feel-good photo from the Associated Press, a symbol of resilience in the face of disaster, that no less than Volkswagen itself has now offered to repair it free of charge. Announced on International Volkswagen Bus Day, a June 2 not-a-holiday the company made up three years ago, Volkswagen of America will take the bus (named “Azul” by her owner, Megan Krystle Weinraub) to its facility in Oxnard, CA.
It’s quite the honor for Azul, since this is the place where Volkswagen keeps its collection of historic vehicles. She’ll be getting patched up by the same people maintaining the company’s most prized possessions.
Becoming a symbol of hope
It was actually Azul’s previous owner, Preston Martin, who first recognized his old bus from the AP photo. He told the AP that he’d bought it in college and even slept in it for a year, adding “college dorm” to the bus’ long list of alternate uses over the decades. He sold it to Weinraub, his friend and business partner, only a few months before the fire hit.
Weinraub said she “knew Azul was becoming a symbol of hope” after its miraculous survival, but she was (very understandably) too busy dealing with other post-wildfire issues to get the car back in shape. So it was a relief when Volkswagen called her up and offered to do it for her. Becoming an overnight sensation has its perks.
Volkswagen says that, despite its outward appearance, the bus will need “extensive mechanical fixes and bodywork to be fully operable.” That’s still a pretty good diagnosis, given that Azul is nearly 50 years old and just went through a fire. Plus, she’s getting attended to by VW’s best. If all goes well, she ought to be back on the road later this year.
