It is nearly impossible to overstate the extent of destruction across multiple areas of Los Angeles during the fires that swept through in January 2025. It wasn’t just a few houses here and there; entire blocks of buildings were reduced to ashes, sometimes leaving only chimneys and stone fences standing amid the scorched ground. On January 9th, the Associated Press captured a photo of the total devastation on a Malibu hillside. Amid the blackened and brown rubble, a bright blue and white 1977 Volkswagen Type 2, also known as the Volkswagen bus, stood out, almost as if Photoshopped into the scene or driven in afterward. It quickly became a symbol of Southern California’s resilience and strength. Team Gillman Volkswagen shares the rest of the story. 

It couldn’t be more cliché that the bus is owned by a skateboard and surfboard designer, but that is what owner Megan Krystle Weinraub does. Weinraub bought the bus from friend and business partner, Preston Martin, who used the vehicle as a home during his senior year as a mechanical engineering student at UC Santa Barbara. 

On January 5th, the two friends drove the bus, which Weinraub calls “Azul“ — Spanish for “blue” — to go surfing. Later, Martin parked it on a flat spot up the hill from her apartment, as she was still learning to drive the manual transmission. The Palisades fire emerged two days later, and Weinraub escaped the area with her dog in her other car. 

She thought the bus was gone, along with everything around it. AP took the photo two days later, and a friend who recognized the vehicle sent the image to Weinraub. “I freaked out,” she said. “I was in the bathroom, and I screamed.” 

There was no identifiable reason why “Azul” survived when nothing around it did, but it did. The neighborhood was closed to the public for several days after the fire, so it was a while before Weinraub could get back to what many now refer to as “The Magic Bus.” 

While the vehicle appears untouched in the photo, it didn’t escape completely unscathed. The rear window shattered from the heat, allowing plenty of ash to enter, and the inside smelled as burned as its surroundings. The vehicle required significant body and mechanical repairs to become roadworthy again. 

Thanks to the enthusiastic VW community, Volkswagen of America was excited to team up with Megan Weinraub to check its safety and condition. Once they got the green light to visit her Malibu neighborhood, Volkswagen happily took the bus to the Volkswagen Group of America Oxnard Facility, which is home to an extensive collection of historic VWs, where the vehicle’s condition could be assessed. VOA then took on the task of restoring the vehicle to its former state.  

“Today marks the next chapter in the rich legacy of the Microbus through the restoration of a vehicle that caught the attention of people around the world,” said Rachael Zaluzec, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing and Customer Experience, VW Brand NAR. “We recognize for Megan, Azul isn’t just a 1977 T2 but a part of her family. For us, this passionate restoration project has served as a symbol of resiliency, making Azul a part of the Volkswagen family as well.” 

The restored Azul was then displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Before being returned to Megan, it will be on exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles from December 4, 2025, through January 11, 2026.  

Team Gillman Volkswagen can’t claim its Volkswagen models are as seemingly fireproof as the 48-year-old Azul, but its new models are built with the same spirit. Visit Team Gillman Volkswagen to check out your favorite of the Volkswagen lineup, including Azul’s descendant, the exciting ID.Buzz, which happens to be available in bright blue and white.