Von Dutch's

GM Transit Bus

Photos: Danny Brucker

This bus occupies a unique place in Sharkey's Busbarn, as it doesn't really fit the mold of housetruck or housebus in the strictest sense. As one of countless transit conversions in the world, it's claim to fame is it's builder and occupant, Kenny Howard, also known as Von Dutch, a popular icon in the world of custom vehicles, and an integral part of the culture surrounding them.

As an adolescent, I was fascinated with cars, and spent much of my time and allowance building plastic model kits, and reading custom car magazines and comics such as CARtoons Magazine. Along with customizers such as Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, George Barris, and others, Von Dutch was held in awe by a large part of the interested public as a modifier of vehicles and for his elaborate and imaginative pinstriping.

In 2001, while at a resort hot springs near Carmel, California, I made the acquaintance of Danny Brucker, whose family had owned the Movieland Cars of the Stars museum in Buena Park California, and who befriended Von Dutch years earlier. Ultimately, Danny became Von Dutch's caregiver at the end of his life, and inherited the GM transit bus in which Von Dutch had lived and maintained a metal and painting shop. Through Danny's kindness, I'm able to share these photos of Von Dutch's bus. As far as I know, these are the only publicly available images of the interior of this vehicle.

While descriptions of Von Dutch's attitudes and mannerisms abound on the Internet, I have so far not included any of them on this page, Recently though, I received an email from J.T. "Greek" Vosdoganes, who worked with Dutch for a time. The quotes in italics on this page are his.

"I was reading about the VonDutch transit bus on your site. I met Dutch, and worked for him in, or around 1971, when he was in Tempe, AZ. During the day, when he was sober, and customers would come in with a girlfriend, or even a wife, Dutch would almost always ask if they would like to take the "magic bus tour" He called the bus his "magic bus". I spent many hours in that bus, watching him machine, and fabricate all kinds of parts, and listening to his many stories about his many spectacular cars, trucks, halftracks, and mostly motorcycles that he had built for movies, and movie stars. In the evenings, when we would go over to the Minder Binder bar for dinner, and we would start drinking, Dutch would become a different person. He didn't like me when he was drunk, and was very angry at everyone, but the sober times with Dutch working in the shop,were worth the bad times. He called me"JewBoy" when we would get drunk together, and raise hell at the Minder Binder. All the normal people he called 'tourists'".

A view above the curb door reveals that Von Dutch was a collector of decals and stickers, a popular pastime for many hot rodders, although other parts of the bus are embellished with his own custom designs.

It's a bit squalid inside these days (I've since learned that it always was). This view to the front is of the workshop area. At one time, metal working tools, including a lathe were installed here. Work bench space is on the left, and a row of parts drawers is mounted above the curb side windows. The twin 8 foot fluorescent lamps overhead provided lots of illumination, but must have been an interesting obstacle, considering the low overhead of the ceiling. The large enclosure beside the drivers seat appears to be a roll-away tool cabinet, with the drawers accessible to the curb door.

"On the passenger side of the bus, where the open area is, behind the door, was a milling machine."

View to the rear shows Von Dutch's living quarters. Presumably, a kitchen counter and cooking facilities were installed, and the arch-topped passageway to the right appears to have tile installed, perhaps suggesting a shower or head. One day, I may get the opportunity to view this bus first hand, and will be able to give a more eloquent description. "I do remember the archway leading to his bed, because he always said, if any girl ever got to that archway, she was in trouble."

More from J.T."Greek" Vosdoganes:

Hello again Sharkey;

I read many things about Dutch disapearing for some time, I guess during the mid to late 60's. That was before I met him, so I don't know what he was up to. when I met him in the early 70's, I wanted a van flamed, and heard of him thru another friend, that knew him for several years before. I made a deal with him to flame the van, and paint my Yenko Chevelle, and I would work for him until he felt the jobs were paid for. It turned out to be almost a year. All I was allowed to do was sand by hand, and that's what I did every night. Fold the paper into thirds, and sand with the flat part of my hand, and not my fingers. I would get there at around three p.m., and stay til eleven, or so. Every night we would go to the Minderbinder to eat, and drink. Dutch told me that he was instrumental in getting the movie props that were used in the Minderbinder, and the owners agreed to feed him, and not "86' him forever. I believed him because, we always ate free, and he was so obnoxious to the customers, that anyone else would have been banned for life. One night I rode on the back of his old B.S.A. single with him driving, and he drove that bike thru the back door, and up to the bar. I never rode with him again. Many times during the late afternoon, he would tell me stories, and show me photos of the many projects that he did for movie studios. He did motorcycles for 'The Great Escape', Cars for 'Bullit', and his favorite, was The Winton Flyer for 'The Reivers'. If a person looks at the credits on those movies, they would probably see his name. I know I have. He also talked about some episodes of 'Then Came Bronsen'. I think probably, that's what he was doing when he disappeared during the sixties. I think at the time I knew him, he said he was married to agent 99, Barbara Feldon. I wouldn't want to be quoted on that. You might be able to verify some of these things. I haven't thought much about Dutch for years until I saw some movie person on a talk show with a VonDutch T-shirt. She couldn't have been over 25 years old, and I wondered how she got that shirt. She probably didn't even know what a Von Dutch was. I see VonDutch stuff everywhere. Most of these people wouldn't give Von Dutch the time of day, if they knew him. I never considered myself his friend, because he would never let me be his friend. I think he had only a very few people that he considered friends. He kind of liked me during the day, but when we were drunk, he hated me along with everyone else. People would ask me how I could be around him when he was drunk. Well he tolerated me, and I was glad to be around him, especially when he was working his magic. I still consider it a privilege to have had that time with him. I find myself offended, when I see people wearing VonDutch stuff, when I know that they never knew him. Hey Sharkey, I'm going for now. My printer is broke, computer is going down when I send this letter. Please use what you want in these notes, and get my name in there somewhere. There are some other friends from that time that might read this, and try to contact me.
So long for now. J.T.
p.s. I am disassembling my computer as soon as this E-mail is sent

Update, January 19, 2007:

Apparently the Brucker family has been in the process of auctioning off a large amount of Von Dutch artwork, tools and artifacts over the course of the last year or so. I learned through sketchy details gleaned from a variety of sources that the bus was going to be auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson at the Rock-On-the-Block auction event in Scottsdale, Arizona the week of January 15th, 2007.

The auction took place Jan 19th and the bus sold for $46,000!

All accounts I have been able to read indicate that the bus had been stripped of nearly all of it's Von Dutch-specific materials (eyeball window, machine-turned surfaces) and was being offered as an empty hulk filled with debris and rat turds. Oh, apparently the wheels have been painted orange and fitted with new tires, and the engine and brakes have been returned to working condition.

I'll try to follow up with some information about the disposition of the bus, and perhaps the buyer and future destination if I'm able to learn more now that the auction is completed...

For now, here's an image of the bus on it's way to the auction block:

(Photo courtesy of Barrett-Jackson)