VW Nationals 25 Years

Photos by Luis Guarch

Back in 1988 Club Vee Dub Sydney held the inaugural VW Nationals at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, with people travelling from all over the country and battling bad weather to show their support for what would become the biggest Volkswagen show in the country.

25 years on, the event has evolved into a social hub for the Australian Volkswagen scene and over the weekend, hundreds of fans flocked to Fairfield Showgrounds to celebrate its anniversary.

Gates opened at 8am and just like the years before, the undercover area was quickly filled with a wide variety of Volkswagens.

Taking a stroll around it was amazing just how many different styles were displayed, with each model represented by both cleanly restored cruisers...

... and rat-look rebels.

Steven and Meredith Kay’s Beetle and Type 3 duo were on display as always, both immaculate examples that deserved the trophies they went home with.

A big part of the Nationals has always been the swap meet, with most of the big players setting up trade stands alongside privateers simply streamlining their collections.

Rod Penrose’s stand was purely Volkswagen performance. Alongside the selection of tough turn-key motors sat his new drag car, an absolute weapon that has been in the works for quite some time. Keep an eye on Performance Garage for a closer look in the coming weeks.

Wassim from Vollks.com.au was also in attendance with his drop dead gorgeous ’61 Beetle, a car that attracted a lot of attention throughout the day.

It wasn’t all aircooled though, with a large watercooled contingent representing the later models strongly.

It was surprising how many of these guys made the trek for the Nationals, with a large crew making their way up from Victoria including this bagged Eos. In case you were wondering, yes, those are Audi R8 rims!

It’s crazy how many weird and wonderful creations turn up to this event each year and I always end up seeing something new. Take for example this bay window Kombi. That glass enclosure on the roof was added during the years when it was used as a mobile observation tower for the Air Force.

Another interesting one was this stretch from Kombi Limousines. The guys were showing off the serious stereo all day and it was constantly surrounded by interested onlookers.

One of the neatest watercooled cars on display was this rare Mk4 R32 Golf. The 19in SSR wheels barely managed to contain the huge front brakes.

All in all, it was a fantastic day and I cannot wait until next year.

Keep an eye on the Club Vee Dub Sydney website for details about next year’s event along with numerous other runs and meets they hold throughout the year.