Recovery from the Palisades and Altadena fires in January is ongoing, but one small bright spot has emerged from the ruin and darkness.<\/p>\n
A blue-and-white 1977 Volkswagen T2 bus \u2014 a viral sensation after miraculously surviving the mass destruction of homes, schools and businesses \u2014 will be available for public viewing following a major restoration.<\/p>\n
The revamped \u201cAzul, the magic bus,\u201d as 30-year-old owner Megan Weinraub calls it, will be featured at this year\u2019s Los Angeles Auto Show, which runs from Friday through Nov. 30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown L.A. From there, the VW will be on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Wilshire Boulevard from Dec. 4 to Jan. 11 before being returned to Weinraub.<\/p>\n
For those unfamiliar with Weinraub\u2019s bus, there\u2019s a back story. As people worldwide watched wildfires ravage neighborhoods around Los Angeles County in January, some found comfort in the story of Weinraub\u2019s little engine that could.<\/p>\n
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A Volkswagen T2 bus sits among burned-out homes in Malibu on Jan. 9.<\/p>\n
(Mark J. Terrill \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n
Her 1977 Volkswagen was left standing after the Palisades fire devastated the Malibu neighborhood where Weinraub had parked it after a day of surfing. She found out the vehicle had survived when she spotted it in a powerful image taken by the Associated Press\u2019 Mark J. Terrill. In the photo, amid the destruction and burned rubble, Weinraub\u2019s bright blue-and-white VW stood seemingly intact.<\/p>\n
During a Wednesday evening event at the Petersen, Weinraub said she couldn\u2019t believe her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was crazy to see, but I knew it was mine because I\u2019d parked it there,\u201d she said. \u201cAt first, I felt guilty because everyone did lose a lot, and then my things made it. So I was like, \u2018Everyone is suffering.\u2019 But everyone was like, \u2018This bus is coming out in a positive way, as a beacon of hope.\u2019 I would love for it to be a symbol of that. I am grateful that I will be the light in the times of darkness, and my bus is for that. I love that. I want to be of service.\u201d<\/p>\n
The image was so striking that some people online questioned if the photograph was somehow manufactured by AI. \u201cPeople were like, \u2018She Photoshopped that,\u2019\u201d Weinraub said. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018Why would I do that?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
However, once Weinraub saw her VW in person, she discovered something. \u201cIt did burn,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just survived somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Gunnar Wynarski, left, and Farlan Robertson are two Volkswagen technicians who helped restore Weinraub\u2019s VW.<\/p>\n
(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
For Volkswagen, the situation provided an opportunity. The German auto company contacted Weinraub and offered to inspect the vehicle. VW brought the bus to its location in Oxnard, a facility that houses a number of the auto brand\u2019s historical vehicles. Volkswagen determined Weinraub\u2019s vehicles needed significant mechanical repairs and bodywork to be ready for the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt turned out that that photo that we all saw, that beautiful photo that Mark took, only showed Azul\u2019s good side,\u201d said Rachael Zaluzec, senior vice president of brand marketing and customer experience for Volkswagen of America. \u201cWhat we didn\u2019t see was the other side of the vehicle that was really badly scarred from the fires. The bus required some pretty extensive work. Now, not just on the exterior, but also the mechanicals. We had to replace things like burnt-out wiring and hoses. There was a lot of bodywork, a lot of paint work that needed to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although a full vehicle restoration like this one might take years to complete, employees of Volkswagen of America\u2019s Oxnard Engineering Campus spent the last few months restoring Weinraub\u2019s VW. The Oxnard team repaired and replaced necessary interior and exterior pieces while keeping the bus\u2019 \u201970s spirit in tact. GE Kundensport provided additional bodywork, and other contractors provided engine refurbishment and powder coating of various parts.<\/p>\n
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Guests at Petersen Automotive Museum check out a restored Volkswagen bus known as Azul.<\/p>\n
(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Volkswagen unveiled the restored bus during an opening night event at the Petersen in celebration of the 2025 L.A. Auto Show. To commemorate the project, Volkswagen partnered with Candylab Toys to create a limited-edition wooden version of the bus, which is available for purchase during the auto show.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s glowing,\u201d Weinraub said as her Microbus was revealed. \u201cShe looks beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fittingly, the photographer behind the viral photo, Terrill, was present, but on assignment like other photographers at the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all because of you,\u201d Weinraub told him between shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to say that I saw it for what it was when I shot it,\u201d Terrill said. \u201cThat isn\u2019t really the case. I saw it for what it was afterwards. While I was in the helicopter, I started looking through the pictures. I thought, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s a nice splash of color.\u2019 What I saw was, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s so California.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know when a picture\u2019s going to go viral,\u201d Terrill said. \u201cPictures take out on a life of their own sometimes. And that\u2019s what happened with this. People saw it and they saw something more in it than I did. They saw what someone else coined as a \u2018beacon of hope.\u2019 It\u2019s gratifying that it means that to so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Azul the Volkswagen bus was restored by VW of America\u2019s Oxnard Engineering Campus. <\/p>\n
(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
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The interior of Weinraub\u2019s restored VW.<\/p>\n
(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n