Table of contents for March 2020 in VolksWorld

It’s usually at about this time of year that I start planning a few road trips, and pencilling in the events I want to include in my 2020 itinerary. Talking of which, we’ve got a bumper UK show review this issue to give you a taster of what’s on offer right here on our doorstep. Whether you want to just kick back, sink a few shandies, listen to some live music and relish the fact that you’re among friends in a field of VWs, then that’s fine. Or if you want to get your car prepped for a proper show and shine, or more serious Concours d’Elegance – then that’s cool, too. And that’s the beauty of the scene we’re involved in – there’s just so much choice. Anything goes,…

Exciting show news! Cal Look Genesis With The VolksWorld Show just around the corner things are coming along nicely and the various special displays and collections are all starting to take shape. However, this month I wanted to concentrate on just one of those displays – the California Look collection, which will be hosted in (and around) the Brasserie. Incidentally, If you’re new to the show or are not sure where the Brasserie is located, you can find it at the far end of the Surrey Hall with access via the large double doors… you can’t miss it! Cal Look cafe I’ve been working with Martin Greaves at the UK Cal Look Register to make this the biggest and best collection of Cal Look cars ever displayed at the show…

Somewhat ironically, since the original VW air-cooled flat-four is one of its most charming features, there can’t be many alternative powertrains that haven’t been transplanted into Beetles over the years. There’s the archetypal Porsche engines – 356, 914 and even 911 – as well as flat-four units like the VW Wasserboxer or Subaru Impreza turbo, not to mention high-performance units including Audi turbo five-cylinders and big American V8s, even huge radial aero engines. The list is endless, but it was inevitable – especially given the current emphasis – that there would be an increasing number of conversions using electric motors. Battery packed It’s not a new phenomenon, we have a copy of one of the Petersen Publishing’s Hot Rod magazine ‘Volkswagen Classics’ compilations from 1981 which details the Kaylor hybrid…

Held at the beautiful Quex Park in Kent, not far from Margate, this June event is the perfect family weekender, and then some. Steve ‘Mudman’ Brooker and his team go over and above to make everyone feel welcome, and there are none of those hi-vis jackets that look like they’d rather be anywhere but stood in a field full of VWs you see at other shows. This is where the Quex crew thrive, and it’s clear everyone involved is a true VW enthusiast. Also, there’s so much well-maintained space for clubs and Campers that nobody is penned in, or stuck in a rutted field. We heard numerous positive comments about not just the cleanliness of the toilets, but the number of ‘boxes’ on site. That might seem an odd comment,…

Over the course of 2019’s summer we’ve lived in our Campers literally every weekend as we toured around Europe, partied all night (!) and checked out some serious show ’n’ shine action. Hence, by the time September rolled around, we were looking forward to a weekend off – or at the very least, a stress-free weekend around a campfire with the gang. And this is exactly what Grill-n-Chill is all about. Held over the weekend of 13-15 September at the Hop Farm, near Paddock Wood in Kent, G-n-C has grown from a small gathering in a farmer’s field into a fully fledged family VW festival, and one of our favourite events of the year. And, we’ve gotta say, it was probably the biggest and best yet. With 55 acres of…

I am pleased to report that my one-owner-from-new ‘67 Bug has redeemed itself big time. Despite reporting in my last instalment that I’d had to be rescued following an ignition issue, it’s the Beetle that’s done the rescuing this month successfully transporting me, my camera gear and a stash of wine for the family from my home in France back to the UK just before Christmas. And all that in some of the wettest and windiest, most miserable winter weather imaginable. You see my 2008 Passat had suffered a mechanical misdemeanour, the wife needed the Polo, leaving the Beetle as my only option. Before I could take it though, it had to pass the French equivalent of its MoT, which, having replaced the inner tie rod arm and both flexible…

Ace researchers on the mag, Stephen and Beverley Hardy, always enjoyed raking up info about oddball or prototype models produced by Wolfsburg and its worldwide empire. In the Dec ‘84 issue, to round off a series on VW convertibles, they reported on what were two of the company’s most attractive models – at least, they would have been, had they ever entered production. A number of these ‘ghosts’ exist as prototypes in the actual metal, at Wolfsburg, some even being exhibited on appropriate occasions. To put this pair in perspective, we need to look back to the late Fifties and the plans for the VW range. The Type 1 (Beetle and original Karmann Ghia) were to be supplemented by a new passenger car range. Type 2 was already the designation…

SEE AN ICON IN THE BRASSERIE! You’ve probably just read the exciting news from Paul Knight (page 10) that we’re going to have one of the most iconic Cal Lookers of all time on display at Sandown Park this March 21/22 – the Greg Aronson / Jim Holmes car. Yes, that’s right, the white Looker that appeared on the cover of the February 1975 issue of Hot VWs magazine, considered by many to be the first documented ‘Cal-Look’ Beetle in the world. It’s now owned by avid collector Russell Ritchie and he’s kindly agreed to give us British fans a rare glimpse of it. Indeed, if you’re a Cal Look fan, this may be the only chance you’ll ever get to see the car on British soil. You’ll be able…

There’s a good chance you’ll have seen pictures from SEMA and typically they’ll be of top end show cars built by professional shops. And this is where it differs from many events as it’s not a car show, it’s a tuning convention hence the vehicles you’ve seen are usually part of a trade booth rather than a privately-entered show car. Fortunately, Robert Wilson was able to enter this vehicle via the guys at Optima Batteries, who were happy to showcase it on their trade stand. There’s still a long way to go before a vehicle is accepted and approved for display and, as you’ll soon find out, Robert called in help from many industry specialists to create this Notchback, which is exactly what SEMA exhibits are all about. “the smoothed…

Every VW fan has their own preferred type of car, or indeed, project. For some, it’s a perfectly restored (or even modified) car that is looking fine and is just begging to be driven. Others prefer the challenge of a project and seek out a rusty VW, then spend months rebuilding it from the ground up. Or perhaps it’s ‘barn find’ cars that float your boat... there are certainly plenty of options to choose from. However, for Andreas Berger, it was the thought of finding a sweet, unrestored survivor Bug that drove him to the Internet in search of his dream VW. We’re talking about an honest car that has been lovingly maintained and cared for – the kind of car that has been family owned or comes with a…

2019 marked the third Volks Weald event and it’s fair to say that this one just gets bigger and better each time we visit. It’s a full weekend of fun and includes an impressive number of trade stands and food outlets (in fact, more than we’ve seen at some long-established events this year). As you might expect, there’s a good spread of show vehicles, too. Saturday this year was ‘Beetle’ themed hence the central show field was filled with a mix of rusty and shiny Bugs, which certainly looked pretty cool. Sunday, however, was the Show and Shine ‘proper’ and the field was packed to the hilt with an impressive mix of air- and water-cooled vehicles. This is a great show for families as there’s plenty to do at Penshurst…

First, we should point out this is a pre-booked affair as it involves a great deal of logistical planning to marshal the run itself and the limited parking on Brighton’s Madeira Drive, so you can’t just roll up unannounced and expect to join in the fun. However, while it’s technically a one-day affair (October 5 last year), it’s possible to make it a three-day weekender if you want to. Allow us to explain. The official event departs from Hook Road Arena in Epsom at 8.30am on the Saturday, but you can pre-book camping for the Friday night if you wish. The drive down to Brighton takes up some of Saturday and, on arrival, participants collect goodie bags and can be in the running for a trophy, too. The event is…

STASH YOUR STUFF From: www.heritagepartscentre.com Price: £84.50 If you're always at a loss when it comes to storing sunglasses, sweets, mobile phones and the latest issue of VolksWorld in your Bus, then check out these bamboo under dash trays from Heritage Parts Centre. They're suitable for Bay Window Buses (either LHD, or RHD) and are a must-have if you're planning a road trip in 2020. TACH A LOOK A THIS From: www.aircooledaccessories.com Price: steering column holder £44.99, tacho £89.99 Get that vintage racer look with this AAC steering column gauge holder and accompanying 52mm tacho. The holders were first produced in the early 1950s, and continued to be a popular accessory throughout the sixties on sporty VWs and Porsches, while the tacho has been specially calibrated so you see some…

Since the mid-1980s, the month of June has hosted some of Southern California’s most popular Volkswagen events, with one weekend in particular becoming legendary. North America’s best car builders typically unveil their latest project cars for the occasion, in hope of bringing home one of the coveted awards. It revolved for years around the VW Classic; however, as the latter called it quits in 2019, the long-running Bug-In has de-facto turned into the prime destination for the real top cars. Last June’s programme proved especially contested, since the Bug-In promoters reintroduced a trophy highly sought-after in the past: America’s Most Beautiful VW. Part of the award’s appeals lies in its execution, having always been based on a Weber 48IDA carb cut in half and mounted on a wooden base. A…

There are huge festivals, one-day events, cruises, weekenders packed with dance acts and then there’s VW Fab Festival. The best way to describe it is like a weekend camping with your friends… albeit all of your friends, and all of their friends and family, too. What it isn’t is an all-night drunken rave-up. So you can take even the littlest of Dubbers along without worrying about them, and you’ll almost certainly end up making friends with your neighbours and arranging to meet the following year. Camping plots are limited to a couple of hundred, but day visitors are welcome, too. And as 2019 proved to be hot, hot, hot, additional parking was required on the Sunday as people headed for the show en masse. Camping aside, there’s plenty to see…

The tenth of November saw Slough Swapmeet move to Newbury racecourse; this was a brave move by the organisers, but the extra half hour away from London on the M4 was well worth it. After weeks of rain, the weather was perfect – sunshine and decent temperatures meant there was a great turn out of cars. One of the best aspects of the new venue was that the large parking areas were well organised, with air-cooled VWs and Porsches allocated specific areas, nicely managed by the team. Once through the large kiosk, just outside the main entrance was an area for special vehicles, with some air-cooled gems on display. Inside the swapmeet, the vibe was busy as usual! Downstairs was hustle and bustle, but there seemed to be enough space…

Like ‘Beetle,’ ‘Fridolin’ was never an official name for Volkswagen’s rather eccentric and little-publicised small van of the 1960s and 1970s. Its formal title was the Type 147 Kleinlieferwagen (small delivery vehicle). Translated, its nickname approximated to ‘little toddler,’ which seemed a much more suitable description for the gawky but cute and diminutive appearance of what, in many respects, was a truncated Transporter. Compared to VW’s usual vast volumes, production was strictly limited, with sales almost entirely confined to local postal authorities. It was only after the model’s demise that it escaped into the wider enthusiast world, becoming a cult air-cooled favourite in the process. Boxing clever “The nose looked like the stubby snout of a Type 3 1500 while the tailgate was a shortened version of that found on…