Indholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2025 i VolksWorld

If Tom’s name rings a bell, it’s likely because you read the feature on his Super Bugger Beetle RV in VolksWorld some time ago. If you didn’t read it, and don’t know what a Super Bugger is, it’s basically a Beetle floorpan and front end sheet metal married to a mini American RV body, complete with requisite ribbed aluminium (or should that be aluminum?) panelling. Super Buggers are pretty crazy to look at, and it takes a certain type of person to buy one and slam it. Tom Duttrey is that type of person. In fact, he’s probably one of only a handful of people in the world who can say they have owned two of them – the slammed yellow one we featured and a green one that was…

Well, pretty much everything, though we haven’t forgotten what makes The VolksWorld Show what it is – you, and your VWs! The show team are revamping the entire format of the show this year to really embrace the roots of the air-cooled scene. The biggest change, of course, is the move to the purpose-built South of England Showground in Ardingly, Sussex. The new venue features multiple display halls, along with far more outside space. This means we can present the VolksWorld Concours Collection inside the Queen’s Jubilee Hall, with further displays located in the all-weather Robins Building, too. Perhaps the best news for air-cooled VW enthusiasts, though, is that you are all invited to be an integral part of this year’s event. You can book a display vehicle ticket by…

“I always knew I wanted to get back into an air-cooled car again, I just didn’t anticipate the gap being 20 years” If you had been out of the VW scene for over 20 years, how would you plan your triumphant return? After all, 20 years is a long time. Fashions change, music changes, styles change and, let’s face it, you’ve probably changed, too. The only thing that remains constant is Newcastle United still haven’t won a trophy (forgive me, I know full well that air-cooled Volkswagens and football have never mixed, but it doesn’t stop me trying!). Oh, and air-cooled VWs remain consummately cool. You could jump right in with a fully restored, ‘all the hard work done’ car, or you could find a project and quickly remember why…

Volkswagen owners were limited in their choice of aftermarket wheels in the 1950s. The only real option was those from the sporty, and expensive at the time, Porsche 356, which shares the 5 x 205mm bolt pattern. During the ’60s, however, the aftermarket wheel market exploded, and numerous American companies began offering custom wheels, such as the hugely popular Cragar S/S. Yet they had several drawbacks for use on a VW, starting with the fact they were a different bolt pattern! The offset was also completely wrong as they were designed for use on much larger US market cars. They still found their way onto numerous VWs, via the use of wheel adapters, but they widened the track further still. Not a popular look today, for sure. Eventually, a number…

Stainless sport pipe The Vintage Speed sports exhaust system is designed to suit late Type 1-based engines in Beetles and Karmann Ghias. Made entirely from TIG-welded, 304-grade stainless steel, this mild performance exhaust has twin tailpipes that exit in the stock location but offers improved flow and a deeper, more mellow sound. Adjustable flanges make it suitable for both standard capacity and longer stroke engines up to 2332cc, with or without heat exchangers. The system also comes with glass fibre fire sleeves on the header pipes to protect the fresh air hoses and a built-in M18 x 1.5 nut for lambda sensor installation, if required. If you want to use it with larger diameter J-tubes, you can by adding the Vintage Speed bolt-on flange adapters (available in 35 or 38mm…

Growing up in the UK, I first learned of the rarity of Double Cab pick-ups through books and magazines. Back then, they were referred to as Crew Cabs, and perhaps the first one on the radar of most UK VW fans was the one in Colin Burnham’s Air-Cooled Volkswagens book – a yellow Californian ’60 with louvres and American Eagle Fuchs replicas. After this, a Bay version, built by Rod Dunkerley, appeared within the pages of VolksWorld and, in turn, pushed the desirability of all Crew Cabs up another notch. However, for those of us living in the UK, there were never a ton of Double Cabs (DCs to those in the know) to choose from. British people, as a whole, tended to buy British in the 1950s and ’60s,…

QUEEN’S JUBILEE HALL • EMPI• Heritage Parts Centre• Just Kampers• Custom and Commercial• Kingfisher Kustoms / Java VW• The VW Engine Company• Barnfind Clothing• Cool Out• Driftwood Artisan• Fat Bob’s Emporium• Iiequil• Madmatz ROBINS BUILDING • Meguiar’s• Creative Engineering• Surrey Autoworks• Newton Commercial• Avensys• 464 Clothing• Air-style Media• Rugs for Bugs• Concept Multi Car• Kool Classics• Pick ’n’ Mix Cocktails• Treats of Warwickshire• Vagabond Wear VWt SUMMER LAWN • CamperVantastic OUTDOOR ARENA / ABERGAVENNY HALL • Hugo’s Plates• Photography UK• VW Mancave• Barnfind Clothing• Biff Boff Vapes• Purescreens• Super Dubs• The Sweet Treat Factory• Guide Dogs• The Veteran Foundation…

The wartime history of VW, and the subsequent re-naming of the factory by the British army to Volkswagenwerk in 1945, has been well covered by this magazine over the years. As we’re here to talk about VW toys, this month we thought we’d take the opportunity to re-visit two of the more well-known moments in post-war VW history, the commemoration of 1,000 VWs being built, and that of the 10,000th VW. Both celebrations took place in 1946, and were documented in photographic form. The former shows the 1,000th VW being driven off the assembly line by Major Ivan Hirst of the British Army in March of that year; the latter, taken in October, shows the 10,000th VW under a large banner, surrounded by Major Hirst and a large group of…

Thanks to the firefighters of Châlons en Champagne for the photoshoot location Cyril Belgrand is the man behind what he calls the Rapid Fire Bug, a vehicle that is as much a work of art as it is a means of transport. Consequently, the story behind it is more about craftsmanship than it is about creating a practical, useable vehicle. So, strap yourselves in for a deeply personal journey filled with passion, determination, and a little bit of fate. Cyril’s life-long love affair with classic cars, particularly Volkswagens, can be traced back to his father. Encouraged by his love of classic cars, Cyril bought a Volkswagen as his first car and remains true to his air-cooled dedication, piloting a ’65 Beetle as his daily driver today. However, his true talent…

It’s not unusual for the ’phone to ring at Kingfisher Kustoms, they’re a business after all, and have been in the air-cooled VW game since 1980 (see www.kingfisherkustoms.co.uk). It’s also not unusual for the ’phone to ring and someone to enquire about a beach buggy. Head honcho, Dave Fisher, and some of the team that work there have been building them for longer than just about anyone else in this country. Hence why it was Dave’s ’phone that rang when the producers of Top Gear wanted a trio of buggies for the presenters to hoon around the desert. You may have seen the episodes. What was more unusual about this particular ’phone call, however, was that the person at the end, Tom Honey – a successful entrepreneur with a mobile…

Limited edition 2025 VolksWorld Show t-shirts For this year’s show, we have two neat designs printed on either black or white t-shirts, available in sizes from small to XXL. Both designs feature the VolksWorld logo on the front breast and you can choose either the bright and bold Beetle design or the 75 years of Type 2 manufacturing design, if Buses are more your thing. You can either buy them online, or in person at the VolksWorld retail stand, conveniently located in the Robins Building. How much? £20 (+ £2.75 UK delivery* / £7.50 international delivery)*Free delivery on orders over £25 From: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/VWOMerch VolksWorld hoodies Back by popular demand, VolksWorld hoodies! Featuring the same Beetle or Bus design as on the show t-shirts, they are available in either grey or…

As you enter the South of England Showground, you’ll be welcomed by the Wolfsburg Bus Crew, the Split Screen Van Club and Early Bay, who, along with a number of other clubs, will be flanking both sides of the main thoroughfare with Buses to get you in the mood for joining us in celebrating 75 years of Type 2 production. The celebrations don’t stop there, though, as the Wolfsburg Bus Crew are also marking 10 years of club displays with more Buses lined up this year than ever before. Don’t miss out on what are sure to be some truly memorable club displays. • Wolfsburg Bus Crew• Split Screen Van Club• Early Bay• The Vintage Guys• London Dub Club• Herts VW Club• The PaintScrapers VW Club• Splitters VWs• SX Dub…