Volkswagen debuts restored vintage blue bus that survived wildfire and melted hearts

A vintage blue Volkswagen bus named Azul became an unlikely symbol of resilience after surviving a California wildfire

LOS ANGELES — A vintage blue VW bus that became an unlikely symbol of resilience after it survived a California wildfire made its public debut this week, shiny and like-new after Volkswagen spent months restoring the damaged vehicle.

The bus went viral in January when an Associated Press photographer captured it looking surprisingly unharmed by the deadly Palisades Fire, a spot of blue and white dwarfed by the charred remains of a Malibu neighborhood. Volkswagen saw the accompanying AP story and reached out to the owner, Megan Weinraub. Upon closer inspection, VW technicians discovered that while the bus had survived, it had smoke damage and blistered paint, rust and a window busted by the heat.

In its restoration, the 1977 Type 2 Microbus named Azul — Spanish for the color blue — again brought people together as technicians consulted the broader community of VW enthusiasts