In its first incarnation, it became a symbol of the hippy era.
And while the latest version of the VW camper van hopes to appeal to the free-spirited, it has made one or two concessions to 21st century life.
The Bulli - as it is known in Germany - is powered by an electric motor.
New model of an old classic: Its release came as the 'VW Bulli' was unveiled during a presentation of VW (Volkswagen) at the motorshow
The Bulli comes with an integrated iPad that gives you full control of the vehicle's entertainment system
And in a very modern twist on the classic design, its entertainment system and other functions will be controlled with an iPad.
The original Bulli was the brainchild of a Dutch Volkswagen importer, Ben Pon, who in 1947 sketched out a simple public bus built on the wheels of the Volkswagen Beetle.
The van was made from 1950 to 1967. Other versions followed, and the vehicle was eventually sold worldwide.
Wheels at Woodstock: The classic camper van, as seen at the legendary music festival in Bethel, New York, in 1969
Flashback: The new VW Bulli is a remake of the iconic design
And in the new car, there are certainly plenty of nods to the original, including a three-person bench seat in the front and a two-tone paint job.
An electric powered Rolls-Royce limousine is set to hit the road within days, the luxury British car maker has confirmed.
Based around the existing £300,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom, the electric -powered version will be re-chargeable from the domestic mains and with zero emissions.
The news confirms what the Daily Mail reported in January.
Rolls Royce Phantom
Cheap to run... but it comes with a hefty price tag: The electric-powered version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom is expected to be unveiled on March 1
The standard petrol powered Phantom achieves only around 15 miles to the gallon while the electric Rolls-Royce will cost around 2p a mile to run - providing you can afford the price tag which is likely to be not far short of £1million.
The new car is to be unveiled to the world at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1. It has the codename EXP 102 - the EXP standing for 'experimental.
Traditionally, the firm produces a fully running 'experimental' car to take around the world to show super rich clients, before taking orders and putting the starting the production version.
Celebrity endorsement: The company boasts Paris Hilton, left, and Cheryl Cole, right, among its wealthy customers
There has been speculation for two years that Rolls-Royce was planning a top-secret electric model. This intensified in January when Rolls-Royce's boss, under intense questioning from the Daily Mail, admitted it would be 'a good idea.'
Mr Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes confirmed at the time that ‘all options’ for alternatively-fuelled vehicles were being considered.
In a statement the company based at Goodwood in Sussex said: 'Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today confirmed the development of 102EX, a one-off, fully electric powered Phantom, to debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2011.
The car will tour during 2011, serving as a test bed to gather a bank of research data which will be crucial in informing future decisions on alternative drive-trains for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.'
Rolls-Royce
Pioneering: Rolls-Royce manufacturers say they have engineered the world's first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury market
Chief executive officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös, speaking from the company’s headquarters in Goodwood said: 'We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment.
'With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future.'
A Rolls-Royce spokesman added: 'Rolls-Royce produces cars that represent the pinnacle in luxurious motoring for the world’s most discerning customers.
With 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), it is the company’s intention to carefully test the opinions and reactions to alternative drive-train options of a range of stakeholders including owners, enthusiasts, members of the public and the media.'
He added: '102EX will serve as a working test bed for a global tour that takes in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Through test drives, owners will be given the opportunity to experience an alternative drive-train technology and to feedback their experiences, thoughts and concerns directly to Rolls-Royce.'
'As one of the company’s EX models it will serve to begin a dialogue with existing owners and stakeholders, posing as well as answering questions of its audience.
Discerning customer: Guy Ritchie took delivery of a model before Christmas
These include the car’s ability to deliver an acceptable range between re-charges and to operate in extreme weather conditions. But also to benchmark reliability and quality against customer expectations of the world’s pinnacle automotive brand.'
Mr Müller-Ötvös. 'I must be convinced that any alternative drive-train we choose for the future delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience“It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future.'
The super-green car for the wealthy will be on the road in time for the 2012 Olympics where parent company BMW will be showcasing its ground-breaking electric and environmentally-friendly technology to the world.
The company's flagship £300,000 Phantoms currently manage just 15 miles to the gallon.
There has been intense speculation over the last two years that Rolls-Royce was planning a top secret electric car.
Mr Mueller-Oetvoes increased that speculation when he told the Daily Mail before Christmas that an electric or alternatively-fuelled ‘experimental’ Rolls-Royce model would be a ‘good idea.’
BMW, which also owns British-based MINI, has already launched an electric powered MINI-E which can be re-charged from the mains.
With the world’s eyes watching the 2012 Olympics - where parent company BMW will be showing off their low-emissions cars to ferry 80,000 VIPs to and from venues - it could be the perfect opportunity to showcase just such a vehicle running on electric power, or even a fuel-cell.
British gangster movie director Guy Ritchie, former husband of Madonna, took delivery of one before Christmas. Traditionally, Rolls-Royce has produced one-off ‘experimental’ models to showcase to potential the luxury car company’s latest technological advances.
Rolls-Royce
Exclusive: The super-green car for the wealthy will be on the road in time for the 2012 Olympics
When the Daily Mail pressed Mr Mueller-Oetvoes before Christmas that a super-green electric Rolls-Royce using the latest in environmentally-friendly technology for the super-rich with a conscience would make an ideal new ‘experimental’ model, he acknowledged it would be a ‘good idea’.
Rolls-Royce announced record annual car sales in 2010 - up 171per cent on 2009 and more than double the previous record of 1,212 cars set in 2008. In 2009 the company sold 1,002 cars.
The USA remained the biggest single market for Rolls-Royce in 2010, followed by China and the UK with all areas showing ‘significant growth’, particularly in Asia Pacific, the USA and the Middle East.
Wealthy women, like Paris Hilton buying the smaller ‘baby’ Rolls-Royce Ghost models are fuelling the boom in sales from the company’s hi-tech factory.
Wealthy women buying the smaller ‘baby’ Rolls-Royce Ghost models are fuelling the boom in sales from the company’s hi-tech factory is in the grounds of the Earl of March’s Goodwood estate.
Rolls-Royce
'A degree of sobriety': Although sales are bucking the economic gloom, Rolls-Royce boss did admit that colour schemes are more in tune with the downbeat mood, with a shift from 'bling' to more subtle interior shades
Pop star and Geordie X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has one of the £196,000 cars, and British gangster movie director Guy Ritchie, former husband of Madonna, took delivery of one before Christmas.
The company sells about three Ghosts to every one Phantom. Mr Mueller-Oetvoes told the Daily Mail that women are attracted to the car’s ‘masculinity’ and now account for up to 10 per cent of sales of the Ghost, a more compact and ‘less formal’ Royce saloon than the massive £300,000 Phantom.
'Women love their Ghosts. But they are not buying a car for women. Rolls-Royce is a male brand. And women like that. It’s a nice masculine car.'
But female customers do like to customise their interiors with a more feminine choice of colours and detailing, leathers and stitching, he said.
Although sales are bucking the economic gloom, the Rolls-Royce boss did admit that colour schemes are more in tune with the downbeat mood, with a shift from ‘bling’ to more subtle interior shades: There’s a degree of sobriety.'
In preparation for the Geneva debut of its electric car , Rolls-Royce will launch the website www.electricluxury.com this week, a portal to fuel a wider global debate seeking views on the question of electric luxury from media, VIPs and stakeholders.
The site will also deliver regular updates of the car’s progress while on tour.
Full technical specifications for 102EX will be announced at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1.
The effects of the recession on people's disposable incomes, teamed with rising fuel prices, is prompting consumers to see the benefits of green vehicles.
Such is the opinion of Dr Ben Lane, Director of nextgreencar.com, who notes a UK trend for increasing sales of more fuel-efficient cars.
He explains that more people are now looking for smaller cars that are energy-efficient, while businesses are also realising the benefits such vehicles have when it comes to running costs.
In addition, the government's Plug-In Grant for some electric cars, teamed with cheaper vehicle excise duty for motors under 120 grams CO2 per kilometre and the London Greener Vehicle Discount for Euro 5 cars emitting 100 grams CO2 per kilometre or less have also helped to raise interest in the market.
"On the back of a petrol and diesel market which is getting proportionately greener, electric vehicle sales are starting to increase albeit in very low numbers at the moment, but the prospects look good," Dr Lane concludes.
Elsewhere, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders recently reported that the market share for cars with CO2 emissions under 100g/km rose by more than 65 per cent last month.
Nissan's latest eco offering, its ESFLOW, looks likes a sports car but is powered on electricity.
The manufacturer explains that the vehicle handles and drives like the traditional sports car but that it makes use of the technology that was pioneered in Nissan's award-winning Zero Emission family car, LEAF.
It adds that two electric motors each power a rear wheel, while mounting the laminated lithium-ion batteries has helped with weight distribution.
As a result it is able to go from zero to 100 km/h in under five seconds, with one charge powering the car for a distance of some 240 km.
Weight saving has been a priority during the design process to allow the car to go as fast and far as possible on one charge.
It will be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March.
The Nissan LEAF was recently named European Car of the Year for 2011.
Demand is currently outstripping supply when it comes to the more fuel-efficient vehicles available on the market, one firm has warned.
According to British Car Auctions (BCA), there has been an increase in buyers looking to get hold of a green and fuel efficient car, which has subsequently pushed up the price of such motors at auction.
It is believed that the demand is a reaction to increasing petrol and diesel prices, teamed with concerns over family finances.
BCA's Tim Naylor says: "As fuel prices continue to climb, we expect used values for the most fuel-efficient cars to keep rising as well."
He adds that this is despite a report from the group last year finding that only three per cent of respondents believed they would be buying an electric-hybrid car in 2011.
Dr Ben Lane, Director of nextgreencar.com, recently claimed that the increasing interest people are taking in eco vehicles is due in part to the effects of the recession
Car designers have come up with the perfect solution for all those motorists tired of traffic jams and lack of parking spaces.
The two-seat EN-V (Electric-Networked Vehicle) is designed to alleviate those common driver concerns - as well as address environmental issues, energy consumption and affordability.
And amazingly you don't even need to be in the driving seat to achieve all this.
Compact, environmentally-friendly and drives itself: The EN-V runs on battery power for about 25 miles on a charge, with top speeds of 25 miles-per-hour
The EN-V from General Motors can rotate 360 degrees and be driven in manual mode with a driver - or without.
The only downside to this pint-sized vehicle is its' inability to withstand a collusion with a full-sized vehicle.
Cities could, however, create EN-V-only lanes, or alternatively, create enclosed areas solely used by the vehicle.
There is no timeframe yet for when the EN-V will be on the market.
EN-V
The majority of global car executives do not foresee a reasonably priced electric vehicle being available on the mass market in the next five years, a survey has suggested.
Many also believe that electric cars will not be affordable without government subsidies, KPMG said.
But they do think that the market for electric cars will be the fastest growing sector in the market.
Carmakers are investing in electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions.
This is to both hit emissions targets and satisfy consumers' growing desire for fuel efficient cars.
The survey found that 91% of consumers cited fuel efficiency as the single most important factor when choosing a new car.
Some carmakers, such as Renault and Nissan, are pinning their hopes on pure electric cars.
Others, such as Toyota and General Motors, prefer hybrid technology, which combines both electric and petrol engines.
These four carmakers are launching a series of electric models in the next two years.
In the UK, the government has introduced a scheme offering discounts of up to £5,000 for drivers buying certain electric cars.
Other governments are also introducing incentives to buy electric vehicles.
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