This orphan ambulance is made by an unknown Japanese manufacturer (JAPAN stamped under the drivers door). It was obviously an attempt at copying the BANDAI V2 Ambulance lithograph, but many of the body details are just wrong for a VW Bus. The front windshields are so small that the windshield A-pillars would severely block the driver’s view of traffic. Secondly the cab doors are sort of backwards – the foot well step is towards the rear of the door. Finally, the rear of the VW Bus looks more like an early Greyhound Passenger Bus.
On the positive side, it has a definite VW logo front and center of the V front body stamping. The length of this toy is 138 mm. The body is made of a top and bottom section with separate tin chassis having friction rear wheel drive, steel axles with rubber tires and plated steel hub caps. The front and rear bumpers are also plated steel and there is no interior. It’s just so interesting that a manufacturer would attempt to create such a lithograph copy of another toy right down to the looking back facing nurse.
