My 1963 Volkswagen Kombi

WHERE Are They Now shows generally wheel out faded actors who few viewers remember. Not this time. Arguably the star of the 2009 Western Australian-based movie - and based on a succesful stage play - Bran Nue Dae, a 1963 Volkswagen Kombi is still a happy and colourful member of the Perth southern coastal city of Rockingham.

"It's a car that makes people smile," says owner Amanda Williams, 22, an estimator with builder Shelford Homes.  The Kombi has been hers for four years and was planned for restoration.

"It was one colour - green - before I heard a company wanted a Kombi for a movie," she says.  "I put my Kombi up and the company agreed to rent it. My Dad, who has a panel shop, did a base red and white coat before it went up to Broome."

It was there that local artists set to work with hippie-inspired murals on the flat panels.  The Kombi was then the central point to a road trip by characters played by Ernie Dingo, Missy Higgins and Tom Budge.

"When it came back with the artwork on it, I thought 'wow' - I was so happy with it I wasn't going to change it," Amanda says. 

The 1963 splitscreen Kombi is the second in the Williams family.  "We had one in New Zealand but we sold it before we came here," she says.

"My Dad bought a splitscreen when we came to Rockingham and because I love Kombis, I wanted one. I found this in the country. It had no rust and a 1.5-litre engine - it runs really well and I've had no problems with it."

The Kombi came with standard-issue WA number plates but these were changed for the movie.  As a present for her 21st birthday, Amanda's father gave her personalised plates with the same registration as the hand-made plates used inthe movie.

The Kombi is used for camping and "cruising", says Amanda, with her Suzuki GSX-R 750 used for day-to-day travel.  "Yes, it has more power than the Kombi."

KOMBI FACTS

• The Kombi, officially known as the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter, was introduced in 1950 and picked up numerous nicknames including "microbus", "minibus", "kombi" and because of its popularity during the 1960s, "hippie van".
• The first model was the Commercial (a van) and the Kombi (with side windows and seats) but variants such as the Microbus, Deluxe Microbus and ambulance were soon added. A single-cab ute was available from 1952. From 1955 it received a tailgate.
• Engines started with the Beetle's 18kW 1.1-litre air-cooled flat-four. In 1953 this was upgraded to a 22kW 1.2-litre version and to 30kW in 1959. The 1963 model introduced a 38kW 1.5-litre engine, upped to 40kW from 1967.
• The 1964 model had a wider rear door and optional sliding - rather than hinged barn-door - side door.
• The Type 2, along with the 1947 Citroen H Van, are among the first forward-control vans in which the driver was placed above the front wheels and soon started a trend in Europe.
• The "split screen" ended production in 1967, superceded by the "bay window" range.