Of Stephen Hawking (+) we know he is the Albert Einstein of our generation. British scientist and physicist from Oxford University, with a BA in 1962, a PhD in 1966 at Cambridge… and a 1988 Volkswagen Vanagon, the hippie van of its time.
Before becoming a world reference in theoretical physics, general relativity, and black holes, in the late 1980s, Hawking published his book on cosmology for dummies, “A Brief History of Time.” That same year, he bought his Vanagon, also known as the Volkswagen Caravelle GL 112.
As you recall the report published on the website of Slash Gear, this vehicle was a third-generation version of VW’s iconic microbus that first hit the road in 1950 and that it was the second car built by the German automaker after the Beetle.
Interestingly, at the time, the 1988 Vanagon was known as the hippie minibus and one of its models was in Hawking’s possession.
What happened to the physicist’s hippie van?
Stephen Hawking’s Vanagon it had a stamped-steel body, three-speed automatic transmission, and a rear-mounted 2.1-liter gasoline enginewater-cooled, producing 112 brake horsepower.
For obvious reasons, the interior was modified to load and transport him and his motorized wheelchair safely and comfortably. It was used as his personal vehicle for over a decade and was a family sight on the Cambridge campus.
Over the years, his ALS condition worsened, and in 1999, he was forced to give up the vehicle when he needed a new wheelchairone that Volkswagen could no longer accommodate.
Hawking gave the minibus to his adoptive brother, Edward Frank David, who kept it until his own death in 2003. Edward’s son inherited the vehicle and kept it in the family for the next 19 years.
In August 2022, Hawking’s nephew decided to sell it as he was no longer driving it. He hoped to sell it to a fellow scientist or “professor enthusiast” so that he could appreciate it as he deserved.