Counting down to June 23rd…

It all started back in 2005 after driving back to the UK from the vintage VW show in Hessisch Oldendorf, Germany. “Why don’t we have a Vintage Volkswagen show like that in England?” Well, now we do!

Lavenham is regarded as being the finest surviving example in England of a mediaeval town, with superb ancient buildings – over 300 of them listed as being of architectural and historical interest.

I was one of the organisers of the first Lavenham Vintage Volkswagen Show in 2008 which was a great success, with over 100 Vintage VWs arriving in Lavenham for the weekend from all over Europe. For our second show this year, things have had to get a little bigger to accommodate the 170 vehicle that have registered. The Market Square will be home to pre-1957 vehicles. Lavenham Press has the Big-window beetles while you will find Karmann Ghias, Type 3s and over sixty splitscreen type 2 campers in the meadow along with the trade stands.

On the Sunday we have organised a cruise around the narrow Suffolk lanes through some of the regions most beautiful villages. With over 110 VWs taking part in the cruise it should be quite a spectacle!

So if you’re in the UK and looking for something to do on Saturday 23rd June, why not come along and spend a day in Lavenham – It’s free to visit but don’t forget your camera! http://www.pre67vw.com/lavenham

You can read the full report on the 2012 show, with lots of photos here:
https://bandwagen.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/lavenham-vintage-volkswagen-show-2012

94 comments

  2. CJ Vali

    Very cool photos. I’ve been working on old cars since 15 years ago when I was in high school and I helped my dad at his shop when I was a kid but I had never worked on foreign cars until a couple months ago. I’m now doing a ground-up restoration on my boss’s 73 Super Beetle. It’s nice to work on something that was reverse-engineered pretty well for once. I definitely have a better appreciation of them now.

    Reply
  4. digitaldtour

    Very nice post.
    Love the photos and the surroundings. I especially enjoyed your group shot of the type II transporters, and look forward to reading your post from the June 23 event.
    Thank you…

    Reply
  5. technology4democracy

    When I saw June 23rd, I clicked on this article because I tought this was related to Quebec’s national holiday, the St-Jean-Baptiste. But once I was here, I stayed because of the pictures.

    Reply
  7. Mormon Soprano

    My mother owned a little blue bug (as spotted from above, in photo #2) when I was born. There’s a classic photo somewhere of her holding me in her arms in the passenger seat snapped by my dad as I was proudly taken home – [yes, I somehow survived the “no-seat-belts-or-any-type-of-safety-chairs” of the dark ages]. Later on in the scrap book, there is another photo of me actually fitting into, and sleeping, in the tiny space behind the back seat of the little blue bug. Thus, I have a soft spot for VWs; representing the auto-cradle of my infancy.

    Reply
    • Malc

      I didn’t get much time to take photos last time as I spend most of the day running around sorting things out! Hopefully I’ll get a break this time to wander around and take the show in properly.

      Reply
  14. thespectatorssport.wordpress.com/

    Ohhh look at all the Bugs! I have always been obsessed with Volkswagon beetles–even going so far to say if I could have any car in the world, I’d pick a vintage convertible one first 😛 And the vans are so cute! What an awesome auto show!

    Reply
  19. home, garden, life

    Brings back fond memories of the 1970’s and the three fine VW’s I owned then…and they were all old then. Love these jewels of the road. Thanks for sharing…now go see my world/blog. 😉

    Reply
  23. Mackenzi

    I would seriously love to go to this one of these day. I have been in love with VWs my whole like. I even drive a ’78 VW Transporter II… AKA bus. I love it. I think I would faint being around all of those cars. I wish I could get ahold of a pre-1957 VW 🙂

    Reply
  24. Anna

    Thanks for sharing this.
    It’s veru luck that I am in the UK now, and I think I will spend a day in Lavenham …
    of course with my camera.

    Reply
  35. Peter Minde

    Wonderful pictures. Here in the US, it seemed like everyone had a VW 50 years ago. My aunt and uncle had a very early Beetle with no fuel gauge. Every Sunday, Uncle Bob would use a yardstick to see if he needed to buy gas. Enjoy.

    Reply
  51. visitor

    what are the grey and white models behind the blue hatchback in the fifth pic down (below the shot of the gorgeous KG’s)? Are they also VW’s and if so, which models?

    Reply
    • Malc

      Hi, They are all Type 3 Varients. The Blue one in the front is a fastback and the two grey ones behind are known as Notchbacks. There is also an estate version which is known as a square back. I don’t think type 3s were available in the USA?

      Reply
      • visitor

        Thanks! the hatchback and squareback were both sold in the US, through 1973 I think. The squareback was called the Station Wagon stateside. Have never seen the others in the flesh – what a cool event you have going!

  55. Missey Twisted

    Sweet! Wish I could make it over there from America. Car show season is so exciting. Will check back later to see if any Things were in attendance. I would love to own one of those some day.

    Reply
  56. AbbyColinaD

    Such a cool event, I’ve been obsessed with old Beetles for a while…I’m planning on buying one as my first car. I love the photography…they always seem to pop out in the picture…I’d love to assist but I’m too far away :(.
    Cheers.

    Reply
  62. thegreatgodpan1

    wish i could be there………..ive got five beetles in diffrent states of disrepai in my backgarden…………busy with a rebuild on one but its got a little bogged down with too many other things to do…………will get back to it when i have time……ive finished the pan and most of the panel beating and preparation of the body……jutst needs a final flat down and i can spray………

    Reply
  64. Pingback: Vintage Volkswagen « Herman's Blog
  74. www.LynxCarHire.com

    Thanks for sharing!

    I love anything to do with Volkswagen. If you ever get the chance to visit the factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, do it – really great day out for all VW fans!

    Reply
  76. elysianhunter

    Sweet! What a great selection of old air-cooled VWs and really good restorations! There is a good VW club here in Central Ohio- and there are some nice cars to be found if you know where to look- but as Ohio winters and road salt are hard on the cars, good restored specimens are hard to come by here. I’m a little too far away to make the show on the 23rd, but please post some pics so that those of us on the “other side of the pond” can enjoy too! Thanks for posting these great pics.

    Reply
  82. jennsmidlifecrisis

    Cool! I’ll have to show my brother your wonderful pics the next time we’re together…after years of “punch buggy” pounding, maybe I can pound him back! “White punch buggy, no punch backs”! etc. 🙂

    Reply
  83. sigough

    There is definitely something about VW’s of any kind.
    Just been with my brother Damon (aka Badly Drawn Boy) as he bought his new VW Golf. Classic car.

    Reply
    • Malc

      Hi, Just been looking at your blog, very funny – just my kind of humour. I’ll have to get myself some of those running shoes for the 23rd! 🙂

      Reply

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