Home  |  Contact Us  |  Member's Cars  |  Club Meetings  |  Join Us  |  Shows & Events  |  Club News  |  Classifieds  |  Links

Club News

click icon to email

Check this page for News relating to the running of the Club or pretty much anything you'd like to contribute. It can be the AGM Balance Sheet, new products from our discount partners or just something you stumbled across on the Internet. 
If you have VW related news or a web link to an interesting VW item from the net, click on the "email" icon and send it in. It will be added quickly.

If you didn't attend the camping and Show 'n' Shine weekend because of the weather then you lost out. The weather was fine on the Saturday for the BBQ right until it was time to leave and needless to say, everyone had a good time.

The camp ground was used by half a dozen hardy individuals overnight and when I arrived halfway through the morning they'd been dragged off by Civil War Expert Mr. T. Mouncey for a tour of the nearby battle field. They arrived back at opening time, thirsty but educated. The BBQ was ably attended to by John & Vanessa and those present did their best to eat all that was provided.

This year's winner of the Show 'n' Shine was Holly Tudor with her stunning 1965 Canterbury Pitt Type II.

With a micro-brewery on site there's never any danger of running dry at The Flower Pots.

Star of the show wasn't actually a VW but member Robin Allen's very tidy and extremely rare 1958 Panhard Saloon. If you're not familiar with the Panhard it has a two cylinder aircooled engine of just 851cc. Despite this Robin says it has the performance approaching a 1600cc Beetle.

A gaggle of the usual suspects gathered to represent the club at this well supported Vintage show in deepest Kent. The weather held up for most of the weekend and as usual much was supped and most of the world's problems put to rights. Pictures taken by camera maestro Roger Pascoe. You can see pictures on the "Shows & Events" page.

The top two vintage VW Shows in Germany take place very four years. In the past Bad Camberg has had the reputation as the premier show but in 2005 all that changed in a lot of peoples minds.

In 2005 the show held in the north German town of Hessisch Oldendorf took over the mantle of Germany's best show, in fact the best vintage show in the world. Four of us made the trek that year and four years later six members in a three car convoy made the 1000 mile round trip.

Again the weather was kind to us and we spent a very enjoyable weekend in the small market town of Hessisch Oldendorf. You can see pictures of our weekend on the "Shows & Events" page.

Five of the six members who made the journey. Despite evidence to the contrary they really did enjoy the weekend.

This was the second of our Sunday afternoon meetings and was, I think a success. The weather was kind and the venue, The Fighting Cocks, Godshill ideal. There were a dozen VWs aircooled and watercooled amongst them a few new members...hope you all come along to the Malthouse in April and occasionally make it to the mid-month Wednesday evenings too. Thanks to Holly for the pictures...my camera battery was flat.

This year Silverstone...next year The Nuremberg Ring, at least that seems to be the trend. The circuit gets l-o-o-onger every year and the racing more keenly fought. It now takes Lee and Trev half a day to put the circuit together and get running properly before the punters arrive.

Well the "punters" arrived in force for this particular evening, there being nearly 50 ready to take part in the racing. The evening's close (?) racing was down to identical Audi TTs so there was no cause for wingeing about getting a duff car. However I did think my car exhibited strange aerodynamics at the end of the long back straight as it showed a marked tendency to launch itself into the crowd...can't understand why.

After two hours of competition we arrived at the Final round of 10 lap races and guess who won? Yes it was Lee Malyon...circuit owner and course designer...maybe there's still something us "also-rans" can winge about. The overall result was: 1st. Lee Malyon - 2nd. Sam Martin - 3rd. Richard Weller - 4th. Dave Clark

I think I can safely say that everyone had a good evening, with a big THANKS going to Lee who spent a lot of time and effort into seeing that things ran smoothly. Thanks too to Trev who spent time helping put the track together.

Four matching Audi TTs contested the tournament.

The four line-up for the final 10 laps.

Fortunately the weather for this year's Duck Race was dry...freezing but dry. I say dry, that is of course dry, as long as you weren't one of the young ladies who waded into to rescue their ducks wearing trainers.

It was nice to see a good turn-out yet again with over 40 Ducks entered and despite the usual relaxed attitude to time-keeping by members, we did manage to leave the pub on time at 1.30pm. Due to my inefficiency in not taking notes as to whom were winners, you'll just have to take my word that each was suitably rewarded.

The race itself was s-l-o-w. I think if I'd jumped into a sack, laid down and shimmied like a caterpillar I could have finished the course before the winning duck...the water level was low and from what I could see most ducks arrived via the aerial route. Because of the slow pace and a newly fallen tree the course was cut short by 200 metres, which gave the added bonus of finishing in daylight. 

The first duck across the line for 2009 and therefore the winner of the prestigious "Golden Duck," belonged to Andy Robertson. As usual...a good time was had by all. 

Many thanks to Vanessa for her organisational skills, our wet-suited friend who assisted passage and for the assorted dogs who were able to hone their duck rescuing skills over the course of the race.

John.

Registrations for the Fancy Dress Competition are obviously taken very seriously.

The Start: Ducks are usually launched into a raging torrent...this year slightly less.

Close racing made for much excitement.

The prize giving: Many found it hard to contain themselves.

A jubilant Andy Robertson holds aloft the "Golden Duck." 
"It will spend the whole 12 months on my mantelpiece," said Andy...fortunately his wife wasn't available for comment.

August 2003 marked the end of a very long line. Julien David Collombet of French magazine "Super VW" and un-named friend (who shot the video) had pretty well unfettered access in the VW Plant in Puebla, Mexico on the last day of Beetle production. I suppose by that token this is an historic video, an informal record of the Beetle's very last day...sniff, sniff.

Now that you've reached the News page I think I'd be right in guessing a fair number of you will have more than a passing interest in the history of The Volkswagen Company.

I'm sure many of you will also know that The British Army had a very influential part in the resurrection of the Wolfsburg Plant and "The Peoples Car." 

If you'd like to look back on those formulative days, visit "VW Media Services" where you'll find some very interesting free downloads. The Brochures on offer are:

Volkswagen Chronicle 2002.
A chronicle, year by year detailing all the significant happenings, up to the year 2002 - 236 pages.

The British and their Works - 
The Volkswagenwerks and the occupying power 1945-1949 - 100 pages.

Ivan Hirst-British Officer and Manager of Volkswagen's Postwar Recovery.- 136pages

Surviving in Fear - Four Jews describe their time 
at the Volkswagen Works 1943-1945 - 91 pages

A quick search through "YouTube" has thrown up a few interesting videos for you to view during your lunch break...turn the sound down, there's some noisy music.

A slide show of "The Wolfsburg Museum"

Another slide show, this one of "The Autostadt Collection" at Wolfsburg.

1 millionth Beetle Celebration at Wolfsburg in 1955 from a Discovery Channel documentary on The history of the Volkswagen Beetle.

Some early footage of prototype Beetles from the same 
Discovery Channel documentary.

Split Screen Bus takes on Porsche GT3 at Spa.
A bit of fun at a Spa "Track Day". I dream of taking our Brasil Bus through 
Eau Rouge, outpacing Porsche and Aston Martin but we'd struggle to make 60hp.

Another video clip of the same bus. The WRX owner doesn't seem too pleased to be passed by a Splittie.