And then there was Light: the Woodstock Bus story

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For years, the American chemical company DuPont conducted surveys of car owners’ favourite paint colours. It became a rather dreary affair, with white, silver, silver-grey, grey, and black increasingly dominating the rankings. Choosing silver-grey was considered the safe option, often out of concern for resale value, and such cars did not need washing as frequently. Fortunately, there have always been exceptions, the psychedelically painted Volkswagen Type 2 being a fine example. No wraps here, but hand-painted during the Summer of Love in whimsically shaped floral and swirling designs.

The best-known example? The so-called ‘Woodstock bus’, as it came to be known, was originally a one-off. It was driven to the Woodstock Festival in August 1969 by Bob Grimm, Rick Peters, and Trudy Morgal from Baltimore. They had formed the band ‘Light’ together, and when the festival was held not far from their home, the trio decided to head there and immerse themselves for three days in love, peace, music, and whatever else came their way. They chose Bob’s van as their means of transport. It had recently been painted by his friend Bob Hieronimus. Naturally, the band’s name featured prominently, accompanied by a variety of mystical symbols in a vivid range of colours.

Once at the festival grounds, the brightly painted Volkswagen was placed in a prominent position. During rain showers, it reportedly provided shelter for a number of performers as well as many visitors. However, the van only became world-famous thanks to a photograph distributed by Associated Press, showing Trudy and Rick on its roof. Although replicas have since been made (even by Volkswagen), the original bus unfortunately no longer survives.

Words: Jeroen Booij
Pictures: Associated Press / Volkswagen PR

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