Despite its name, the Volkswagen California is sold throughout Europe but not in the U.S —  so why can’t you buy a California in California?

It’s a question we’ve been asked hundreds of times, and the answer is simply one of economics.

It’s now 30 years since Volkswagen firstly produce the California conversion of its Transporter range of panel vans.

It was developed jointly with camping conversion specialist Westfalia, initially based on the T3 / T25 Transporter. The T4 version followed in August 1990 and marked the change from a rear to front engine and front-wheel drive layout. This freed space at the back for the camping accoutrements and completely changed the campervan experience for many people.

We’re now in the 4the generation of Volkswagen California conversions, now based on the modern T6 Transporter and no longer produced by Westfalia after Volkswagen took over their Hanover production plant.

This year, as part of the 30 year anniversary, Volkswagen took a few of these iconic vehicles over to California, which gave us the opportunity to really explore the situation behind their unavailability in the USA.

Economics

Quite simply, if the California were to be made available in the USA it would cost upwards of $100,000, and that’s a of of money even if it is an exclusive brand. There is also the problem of cost. With the current exchange rates it would potentially hit the street at about $110,000 and with talk of big tariffs on imported cars, it could even go up, and that is a real shame.

Safety

Apparently they have not been through the American safety tests, although they do meet European standards – that doesn’t mean they are unsafe, it just means there would be a lot more testing to be done.