Tabla de contenidos para November 2019 en VolksWorld

There’s been quite a bit in the classic car press recently about MoT exemption for older cars and worries about the massive drop off in people taking their vehicles for a regular mechanical inspection. And, in my opinion, the concern is well founded. You see, since May 2018 cars built more than 40 years ago no longer need to undergo any kind of check, and where there’s no legal obligation to visit a test centre annually, people just haven’t bothered. Indeed, a recent survey by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs has revealed that more than two thirds of the UK’s historic vehicles used on the road are no longer submitted for an MoT test. To recap, justification for the exemption was made on the basis that as technology…

Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the British Army (namely REME) helping Volkswagen get back on its feet following WW2 by restarting Beetle production. A move which undoubtedly saved the company from certain ruin. To commemorate the occasion, Driven to Extremes is organising a 17-day driving adventure specifically for Beetle owners across the Sahara, following the original Dakar Rally route. Open to both air- and water-cooled Bugs, this gruelling 1,000-mile challenge which takes entrants from the Algerian border to the Atlantic Ocean, is being supported by Max Adventure, with the money raised going to help military veterans suffering from PTSD. The cost to enter is £745 per person, and £495 per car, based on a minimum of two crew per car and raising a minimum of £500. It takes…

Martin Collier, 1963 Volkswagen Beetle I’ve had this Beetle for almost two years – it’s had just three owners from new. It was purchased from an enthusiast in Portsmouth, Hampshire, who didn’t really want to sell it. His wife told him that he had to get rid of the Beetle, so he posted details on a closed group on Facebook with only 50 members. Luckily I was one of those 50 people! He had completed half a restoration and I finished it off. This mostly involved work on the body and repainting the top half of the car in Gulf Blue paint. The floorpan’s the original, which isn’t bad after 56 years. The front wheels are 5Jx15 steels and to the rear are 8Jx15 steels, purchased from Limebug. The sunroof…

“for only £145 I was the proud owner of a Beetle” When Neil’s parents told him their friend from Manchester was coming to see them in County Antrim, little did he know that this would start him off on a long and a quarter-mile straight road with a forlorn looking 1300 Beetle. A number of years prior to his visit to Antrim their family friend had started to restore his Beetle but the shop that was working on it had closed due to the unexpected death of the owner. With all the legal wrangling the ’72 was trapped in the workshop gathering dust. When the car was finally released the vim was gone from the project and the poor old VW just sat idle for the next two years. Said…

This event truly is the one we look forward to each year as, like so many other European VW fans, we consider it to be one of the best. And for good reason. In our opinion – and trust us, we’ve been to a lot of VW shows all over the world in the last 20 years – Le Bug Show is the greatest VW show on earth. This year saw around 2,200 air-cooled VWs descend upon the fabulous Spa F1 circuit, with at least a further 600-odd water-cooled cars parked up in the outer campsite. We’ve covered the concept before but, to briefly recap: this event is 100% air-cooled (and VW only, so no Porsches, either) inside the main gates. Sure, you’re welcome to turn up in a water-cooled…

Having attended our favourite European VW event, Le Bug Show, for the best part of 20 years now, we’ve tried all the routes and had plenty of adventures along the way. When we’re pushed for time, the Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais wins hands down (35 minutes journey time), while catching a ferry from Dover to Dunkirk (two hours) saves a little driving time in France. But this year, as we had more time, we opted for a P&O Ferry from Dover to Calais, which takes around 90 minutes – just enough time for breakfast and a cuppa and a nice way to break up the journey. There’s really nothing in it in the long run, hence this year’s decision was purely based on price (approx £160 return for our…

How many cars have you owned? And how many of them have been VWs? For 92 year-old Ken Jevons from Bournemouth the answer’s three and just one respectively. The one being the Delta Green ‘67 1300 you see here. He bought it new from Hayes Corner Garage, Wimborne on 18 October that year, got it home and pledged that it would be the last car he would buy. And, yep, he kept to his promise and has garaged it every night for the last 52 years. He’s never even had the remotest intention of getting another vehicle. Alas, there comes a time when even the most devoted Volkswagen enthusiast has to hang up his ignition keys, and that moment came a year or so ago when Ken came to the…

“taking your hacksaw and using the templates provided, the rear bodywork and roof was removed, cutting vertically about 3in behind the pillars” It goes without saying that we Beetle fans don’t like hearing criticism of our favourite car. As someone who, in the early days of marriage, managed to fit an entire dining table and four chairs into my 1500 Beetle for the drive from London back to Somerset, it seems a bit odd to say that the good old Bug does have its, shall we say, less than brilliant points, and one of them is interior space. During my days as editor of Safer Motoring/VW Motoring we covered a number of conversions of Beetles, many of them involving chopping bits off to create a cheap and cheerful cabriolet –…

Everyone has a bucket list of places to go and things to see, and for me it included going to the Beetle Sunshine Tour. To be honest, my lack of German has been the thing that’s stopped us booking the trip thus far, but having touched base via social media with event organiser Gaby Kraft, and with a big birthday looming for my husband, Martin, I finally plucked up the courage to order the tickets. Despite having owned several air-cooled VWs and attended events in the UK and Europe, we’ve never been to a show in a New Beetle. So, having purchased a stunning grey GSR last year we were all set for #beetleST19. The event was fabulous, with New Beetles of various years, editions, colours and styles present. Crucially,…

It may seem like a long time off, but while you still have your car or Bus on the road, pop Sunday 1 December in your diary, and prepare to join the Heritage Parts Centre's tenth annual Santa Cruise. VW, Porsche, classic and kit cars are all welcome. This festive fundraiser combines fancy dress and Christmas cheer, with a 40-mile convoy from the company's Shoreham HQ to The Children’s Trust at Tadworth Court, near Reigate. Responsible for raising thousands for this great cause over the years, all car enthusiasts are invited to take part and make this another memorable day for those who really rely on the facilities at Tadworth Court. The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury, offering residential and community based care…

As a teenager, Giles Smith enjoyed nothing more than smashing around Kent at the wheel of his ’72 Bug. Painted Ford peppermint green and lowered all round, it was exactly the sort of car all the young dudes were rollin’ back in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Giles explained, “My older brother had a Beetle as his first car and I instantly fell in love with it so it came as little surprise to my parents that I’d follow suit.” The Bug proved to be temperamental and a bit of a money pit but Giles was passionate about his pride and joy, which was all that mattered at that point. Ah, the good old days when the heart ruled the head... we’ve all been there, right? Giles recalled, “I…

As any early issue of VolksWorld will confirm, customised VWs played a significant role in our scene during the 1980s. Not a big surprise, considering Beetles in particular were plentiful, with late models still filling the ‘used cars’ section of newspapers; hence few folks had issues with extensively modifying them. Fast forward to 2019 and any pre-1970 Volkswagen is at least half a century old. Enthusiasts seem to be more reluctant to heavily alter them, due to their age and scarcity – at least the older models. However, some examples are occasionally deemed ‘too far gone’ to have their body restored back to stock, making them ideal for a wilder project. This is the story of one of them, a desirable early Oval Window owned by Adam Espley. The forlorn…

Book a campsite nearby for the Sunday night. In the past we’ve left the show on Sunday afternoon and headed straight back to the UK, absolutely knackered, so in recent years we’ve stayed one extra night, allowing us to enjoy the whole day at the show before having a shower, a decent meal and a good night’s rest prior to heading home fresh and happy on Monday morning. Last year we stayed at Camping Eau Rouge and this year tried Camping Familial in Malmedy (www. campingfamilial.be/en). Both sites have swimming pools, good facilities and a bar / restaurant on site. What more do you need?…

“Cold weather, rain and snow can really take its toll on a classic” With the cold months here, it’s time to give your beloved a check over. Whether you plan to drive your air-cooled VW through the winter or tuck it away in storage, here are a few tips to keep everything in good order. Cold weather, rain and snow can really take its toll on a classic vehicle. It’s not just the salt on the roads that makes things rust and seize; batteries are also put under extra strain, both from needing to use lights and wipers a lot more, along with the fact that cold engine oil requires more battery power to get things moving. Also, tyres need to have plenty of grip and be correctly inflated in…

Gabriele Kraft, the special lady behind the Beetle Sunshine Tour, first had the idea of bringing likeminded New Beetle enthusiasts together having fallen in love with the model back in 2003. Said Gaby: “I asked a VW dealership where I live in Lübeck if they would like to get involved in a ‘Beetletreffen’ and it grew from there. Of course, some folk were a little sceptical as to whether people would drive this far north, but the Baltic Sea provides the perfect backdrop for the event, and around 50 Beetles turned up to the first Beetle Sunshine Tour in May 2004.” Gaby went on to say: “I was delighted when Volkswagen got involved, and they bring a host of special Beetles each year – some of which rarely get seen…

In case you hadn't already grabbed a marker pen and put a huge circle on your 2020 calendar, the date for next year's VolksWorld Show at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher is 21-22 March. With some of the most prestigeous vehicles on the planet put on display at the Surrey venue, it's for a long time been Europe's premier indoor air-cooled VW show. Indeed, each year it attracts throngs of enthusiasts from all over the world eager to see the creme de la creme of cars in the Volkswagen scene. With outdoor displays, club stands, a swapmeet area, live music and a whole plethora of other VW-related activities, there's something for everyone throughout the duration of the show. Obviously to make the most of the ocassion, it's best to stay for…

You were right to go higher… One thing I’ve always loved about the VW scene is the ‘anything goes’ attitude – that all-encompassing inclusion that binds this quirky yet easy-going family together. However, having recently read some negative and, to be perfectly honest, downright nasty comments on social media regarding some of the high riding VWs that have cropped up at events this year, I can’t help but feel that some of these keyboard warriors should probably think carefully before criticising those that have dared to be different. The VW scene is widely revered as a hotbed of innovation and creativity that has pioneered and, consequently, inspired styles, themes and ideas in the custom, hot rod and modified car scene as a whole. And, had it not been for some…

As a child, Zoe Cox admired her grandma Gene, who told tales of her adventures through Spain and Gibraltar at the wheel of her beloved Bay Window Camper. Zoe explained, “Those memories have stuck with me and I’ve always dreamed of one day following in my grandma’s footsteps and visiting some of her favourite destinations in a Camper of my own.” However, life has a knack of filling your time and pushing dreams and plans towards the backburner, which is pretty much how things panned out for Zoe. She said, “My husband, Jamie, and I were kept busy bringing up Ben and Charlotte (now 17 and 16 years of age) and I had resigned myself to the fact that Gene’s adventures were now a series of tales that I could…

Just as the sun begins to set on the Saturday night, the Type 3 aficionados make their way to a special display, which is essentially a car park reserved purely for Notchbacks, Fastbacks, Squarebacks and Razoredge Ghias. While cars came and went, we counted 75 tip-top Type 3s as we wandered around. However, walking back to the vans, we spotted a whole load more ’3s that didn’t make it over to the gathering. To put things into some kind of perspective, we kept our eyes open for Type 3s at a recent UK VW festival and counted eight over the course of the weekend. Spa truly does have it all!…

While a lot of camper van companies have fallen by the wayside over the years, Danbury is a name that is still around today and still turning Volkswagens into homes on wheels. Compared to other British rivals like Devon, Canterbury Pitt and Dormobile (which could trace its origins back to 1773), Danbury Conversions was a bit of a young upstart on the scene. It popped up pretty much out of nowhere in 1964, towards the close of the Split Screen era, yet within a few years had not only managed to establish an enviable reputation for its distinctive and practical Type 2 revamps, but had also gained official recognition from VW itself. “Few other camper van converters would throw in a teapot plus fr ying pans and saucepans as part…