Volkswagen will restore the T2, which became a hero in photos after the California wildfires in January

Volkswagen of America announced the start of a special project - the restoration of the blue-and-white T2, which miraculously survived during the January 2025 fire in Southern California.

After the fires in California in January this year, one photograph captured the attention of people. It was taken by an Associated Press photographer in a fire-ravaged area of Malibu. The photo shows nothing that survived, except for a small blue 1977 Volkswagen T2 bus parked on the side of the road. It drew attention not only from the public but also from Volkswagen of America. Now the company is working to get the little bus back into working condition for its owner.

The current owner of the T2 is Megan Krystle Wienraub. She named the car "Azul" in honor of its color and, according to the Associated Press, bought it from her friend and business partner Preston Martin. Megan and Preston make surfboards and Martin even lived in the T2 for a while when he was repairing it.

Although the van looked almost untouched in the famous photograph, this is not the case. During the initial inspection, it was found that the vehicle was whole on one side, but the paint had cracked and peeled from the close fire on the other side. The temperature was so high that the wiring and other rubber parts melted in the T2. So the repair team at the Volkswagen office in Oxnard, California, will have quite a bit of work to do.

Wienraub has not yet decided whether she wants to keep some of the sun-faded patina the van had before the fire or return it to the glossy look of a new car. In any case, VW says the project is to be completed later this year, after which Azul will be able to take beach trips for surfing again.

Sources: Volkswagen, AP