Some 1,300 Volkswagens and 8,000 enthusiasts from around the world met at Mid America Motorworks in Effingham, Ill. to celebrate Funfest for Air-Cooled VW 2012. The three-day event honored the 1972 Volkswagen milestone of surpassing the Ford Model T as the most-produced vehicle with the 15 millionth Beetle rolling off the assembly line, securing its place in automotive history.

It all started in August 2002, with a bunch of street-driven VW owners, eager to find out how much horsepower and torque their engine would deliver on a dynometer. The cars entered in the friendly competition were separated into two groups, namely "Turbo" and "Naturally Aspirated." By the end of the day, the respective winners of these classes had displayed some impressive numbers, respectively 281hp (Robert Hemphill's street-driven '69 Sedan) and 177hp/161ft-lbs (Bill Schwimmer's Cal Look '59 Ragtop).

We've said it before and we'll say it again: We like small shows, quaint gatherings of friends and family all interested in the preservation and celebration of our Volkswagens. More importantly, we like to relax. Who cares who has the best interior or the best paint? Trophies aren't necessary to merit out the great from the good (they're all great), and we can't remember how many times we've stood in front of a beat-up Bus or a well-driven Beetle and admired the years of wear and tear. Volkswagens are meant to be driven and this is no more typified than at OEBC's 5th Annual Spring Picnic held at Featherly Regional Park in Yorba Linda, Calif. That's not to say you won't find a host of beautiful cars at this gathering; it just means that the people who attend have a better appreciation of their cars as transportation rather than trophies themselves.

Last March, California Dragway and Irwindale Speedway, Two Southern California Tracks, Welcomed a Pair of Events Quite Different From Each Other. Let's Find Out More...

Another year and another list of honored industry elite. January 30, 2004, marked the date of the Third Annual AVWI (Aircooled Volkswagen Industry Awards), presented by VWTrends Magazine.

Some 16 months ago, participants in the 2002 edition of VWTrends' Charity Cruise couldn't be more pleased. We gave them the opportunity to visit several renowned Volkswagen-related companies, including SCAT Enterprises and their production facility, West Coast Metric's private VW museum, as well as Kymco's popular shop filled with innovative merchandise.

Here at VWT, we are happy to report the beginnings of a new club, and we are always delighted to help in the promotion of a great first-time event. At VWT's 2002 Panic Show in Upland, California, brothers Mike and Mark Vaerini--who were both interested in getting back into the VW scene and disappointed by the lack of good VW clubs in SoCal--set up a card table and began taking names of interested VW enthusiasts. By the end of the day, they had several dozen names and wholehearted praise from many show-goers. After a phone call with VVWCA president Peter Cook, who reported that there wasn't a club in the San Bernadino area, they decided to start a chapter. As with most all infant VW clubs, word of mouth spread and soon their meetings filled with more and more people. At this time, the newly named Inland Valley Volkswagen club, as a chapter of the Vintage VW Club of America started planning of their first show.

On October 12, 2003, the gates to Southern California's Santa Anita race track were opened to any kind of car sporting the VW logo, as part of a K-Earth 101 (a SoCal oldies station) publicity stunt to break the world record for the most VWs in one location. Thought it wasn't much of a car show and there was no possible way to accurately count the number of cars present, it was impressive to witness that many VWs in one place.

Der Autobahn Scrapers (DAS) is without a doubt the most famous Volkswagen club in Europe. We published an article about this great bunch back in January 2002 and told you in detail about the members, their activities and their cars that are highly influenced by the California Look. To celebrate the club's 10th anniversary, the Belgian group decided to organize a simple drag day geared towards the European high-performance VW scene. The first problem they faced was to find a proper location, as no quarter-mile dragstrip exists in their homeland...

At first it seemed like a major bummer. The 9th Familienfest would not be held at Deer Park Winery in Escondido, near San Diego, one of the best settings for a VW show you can imagine with plenty of shady trees, and even an automotive museum on site. Unfortunately, the winery's management decided not to renew any car related event contracts for 2003. The very active Strictly Vintage 2s (SV2s), the Bus club which promotes this great get-together, was therefore facing a dilemma... They had a successful family oriented Volkswagen festival, but no location!

Volksfest, the second Saturday of August, any year, Columbus, Ohio, is the place to be. Volksfest is a pan-Volkswagen show. That's not a celebration of replaced pans, it's a celebration of all Volkswagens. The new Volkswagens were represented at Byer's exhibit, one of the sponsors. The latest accessoried Volkswagen and the oldest unrestored, proudly sits on the grounds of Watkins Memorial High School. The trophied and the folk painted and precision restorations, share space.

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	VW Trends Alohoa Charity Cruise By VW Trends Staff, VWT Staff The 2003 VW Trends Aloha Charity Cruise has come and gone. If you missed it, you missed the best event we've had so far. We started at the Oakley Headquarters where they provided one of the coolest facilities you've ever seen. The building is something out of a movie. After our registration, all cruisers were rounded up for a beautiful cruise up the Orange County coastline to the Newport Dunes in Newport Beach. On this day, the sun was shining brighter than it had the previous week. I think it's all because of the charities we choose. This time, it was the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Check out some of the first pictures. Hopefully we got some of you. The complete editorial and pictures will be coming soon, so stay tuned. Until then enjoy and give special thanks to all our sponsors. The wonderful VW Trends staff ready to play Our first cruise arrivals. Wipin' his baby bug. It's all about hangin' with other enthusiasts The Manx crew Look who's got center stage. The entertaining Polynesian dancers were a huge crowd favorite The VW enthusiasts are true car people, but they sure don't make great dancers Do you think he's having fun? Private dance lessons for Dominic Hey Rob, it's supposed to be all work, no play! A crowd favorite This dude took home the 9' longboard and headed for the surf Some lucky prize winners take home a roof rack

Title Sponsors
Commonwealth VW and Audi 1450 Auto Mall Dr. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 565-7500 www.commonwealthvolkswagen.com
Mid America Direct, Inc. P.O. Box 1368 Effingham, IL 62401 (217) 347-5591 www.800luvbugg.com
Official Charity
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County 426 A Almond Orange, CA 92866 (714) 771-1343 www.feedoc.org federal tax id # 95-3033494
Sponsors
Wahoo's Fish Taco 2855 Pullman St. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (949) 222-0670 www.wahoos.com	Archie's Ice Cream 745 Hariton St. Orange, CA 92868 (714) 771-1292 www.archiesicecream.com	Newport Dunes 1131 Back Bay Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 729-3800 www.newportdunes.com
West Coast Metric 24002 Frampton Ave. Harbor City, CA 90710 (800) 247-3202 www.westcoastmetric.com	Blimp 921 Valley View St. Cypress, CA 90630 (714) 957-0120 www.vochos.com

We had been looking forward to this show for weeks. It was a chance to get away from the city for an afternoon and relax in the countryside of Heidelberg, Ontario.

Once every four years, the greatest collection of vintage VWs in the world gathers together in Bad Camberg, Germany, to celebrate the finest products of the early years of the Wolfsburg factory. Regular U.K. contributor to VWT, Pete Barr, made sure this was one show he wasn't going to miss.

In August of 2002, VW Trends enlivened the Volkswagen community by organizing a Dyno Day intended solely for our aircooled toys. Such an affair, the first of its kind for Vee Dubs, had never been organized in the U.S. until then. It proved an instant success, and some participants even told us it was the best event they had attended in years. In case you haven't seen the extensive report in our January 2003 issue, you may wonder what this friendly competition is all about. To sum it up, it consists of running a variety of high-performance VWs on a dyno to see how they perform. Simple, isn't it? We should mention that the horsepower readings are measured at the rear wheels. As a result, the numbers obtained end up being 15 to 20 percent lower than the figures taken at the flywheel--the transmission eats up some of those ponies indeed!

Up until last year, many SoCal Vee-Dub gearheads made room in their summer schedule for the VW Jamboree, traditionally held in August. This happening ceased to exist for a long list of reasons, and a few of our readers may lament its demise--the Jamborees from the early '90s were especially awesome! But events like the VW Panic organized in July fortunately fill the gap with great success. Thanks to the hard work of promoter Gary Justus and his crew, the Panic has in fact evolved into what many consider as the best gathering of Volkswagens in Southern California.

Check out the Bad Camberg 2003 Volkswagen Car Show Coverage from Germany, a collection of vintage Volkswagen cars by VW Trends Magazine.

The Funfest For Beetle is rapidly becoming the nation's largest VW event. Recently celebrating its 5th Anniversary, the event--promoted by mail-order parts house The Real Source--attracted over 500 Volkswagens and several thousand spectators. Held in the small town of Effingham, Ill., the two-day event attracted enthusiasts from California to New York.

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VW Trends 2003 Charity Cruise Registration

Registration:

This year we wanted to give everyone a chance to register and save money by supporting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. It's easy and all you have to do is bring something non-perishable when you register. Below are all the details you need. If you still have some questions, please feel free to email us at trendscruise@mcmullenargus.com

Vehicle and driver fees:
Fee: $20
Fee w/ 3 non-perishable items for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County : $15
Drivers will receive: goody bag, t-shirt and meal ticket from Wahoo's Fish Taco

Passenger fees:
Fee: $5
Passenger receives food and drink ticket.

Title Sponsors
Commonwealth VW and Audi 1450 Auto Mall Dr. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 565-7500 www.commonwealthvolkswagen.com
Mid America Direct, Inc. P.O. Box 1368 Effingham, IL 62401 (217) 347-5591 www.800luvbugg.com
Official Charity
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County 426 A Almond Orange, CA 92866 (714) 771-1343 www.feedoc.org federal tax id # 95-3033494
Sponsors
Wahoo's Fish Taco 2855 Pullman St. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (949) 222-0670 www.wahoos.com	Archie's Ice Cream 745 Hariton St. Orange, CA 92868 (714) 771-1292 www.archiesicecream.com	Newport Dunes 1131 Back Bay Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 729-3800 www.newportdunes.com
West Coast Metric 24002 Frampton Ave. Harbor City, CA 90710 (800) 247-3202 www.westcoastmetric.com	Blimp 921 Valley View St. Cypress, CA 90630 (714) 957-0120 www.vochos.com

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VW Trends Aloha Charity Cruise presented by Commonwealth VW/Audi and The Real Source

It's time again for the annual VW Trends Aloha Charity Cruise presented by Commonwealth VW/Audi and The Real Source. Bring out your best Hawaiian outfit and join our most exciting car cruise yet. This year we will be cruising norththbound along the beautiful Orange County coastline. We have a lot planned and are looking forward to providing you, your family and friends with our best cruise ever . This year, we're trying out a new location for our final stop, the Newport Dunes, located in Newport Beach, California . We have also partnered up with a new charity, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. You will find that by supporting this years charity, you can also save money on registration. Find out more details on the registration page.

The first two years have been essential in providing new and improved elements with each new year. Thanks to our loyal sponsors, Wahoo's Fish Taco and Archies Ice Cream, we are able to bring more fun for the entire family. It's about the cars and the fun. We look forward to seeing you there on October 18, 2003.

Special Note: For car owners who do not wish to cruise with us but would just like to show their cars at the Newport Dunes, you are able to do so but still need to pre-register to make certain that space is available.

Title Sponsors
Commonwealth VW and Audi 1450 Auto Mall Dr. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 565-7500 www.commonwealthvolkswagen.com
Mid America Direct, Inc. P.O. Box 1368 Effingham, IL 62401 (217) 347-5591 www.800luvbugg.com
Official Charity
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County 426 A Almond Orange, CA 92866 (714) 771-1343 www.feedoc.org federal tax id # 95-3033494
Sponsors
Wahoo's Fish Taco 2855 Pullman St. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (949) 222-0670 www.wahoos.com	Archie's Ice Cream 745 Hariton St. Orange, CA 92868 (714) 771-1292 www.archiesicecream.com	Newport Dunes 1131 Back Bay Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 729-3800 www.newportdunes.com
West Coast Metric 24002 Frampton Ave. Harbor City, CA 90710 (800) 247-3202 www.westcoastmetric.com	Blimp 921 Valley View St. Cypress, CA 90630 (714) 957-0120 www.vochos.com

VW Trends Dyno Day 2003m - Videos Courtesy of Super2NR TV

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There's no mistake about it, the event seemed new, different, updated and fresh...good VW shows shouldn't be in parking lots to begin with, but because of its size, the organizers decided to relocate the show from its former home at the VWoA headquarters to its new location on the banks of the Huron River at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The site is surrounded by some of Motor City area's best car museums, home of the Tucker, the last Hudson dealership (now museum) and the site of one of Detroit's first VW dealerships, not to mention a quant downtown and an extensive fire equipment museum. Though it was their 16th running, the venue, the organizers, the hospitality and the turnout lent itself to be considered, in this editor's opinion, the best show of the year, and we weren't the only ones to think so. Volkswagen of America, instead of the MVVC coming to them for the show, came to support the MVVC by being one of the major sponsors, donating the life-sized clay prototype model of the New Beetle (for all to share in a piece) and setting up a tent to display the VWoA's museum collection.

Race Results
Low ET - Kris Lauffer (VW Paradise), 6.972; Top MPH - Keoke DeSa (Quarterflash), 192.66 mph; Pro Mod - 1. Dan Lawson (10.59/101.26), 2. Ray Medrano (14.17/ 74.20); Super Street - 1. Danny Cerny (10.61/122.88), 2. Tom Simon (11.26/117.33); 10.90 Super Comp - 1. Randy Bowen (10.92/115.08), 2. Eric Calabrese (10.97/119.80); 11.90 Super Gas - 1. John Schuerger (11.93/107.77), 2. Mike Sheldon (11.87/106.83); Pro Eliminator - 1. Ken Jevec (12.36/96.33), 2. Brandon Hemming (12.36/106.82); Sportsman "A" - 1. Rich Cotter (14.18/93.56), 2. Jeff Harley (16.52/66.63); Sportsman "B" - 1. Mitch Ehler (18.05/ 61.61), 2. Robert Badini (17.96/71.07); Watercooled - 1. Nathan Hovatter (14.93/94.30), 2. Jonathan Ronkartz (13.94/107.03); Der Renn Kafer Cup - 1. Mike Lawless (94.90 pts), 2. Scott Bakken (90 pts), 3. Kevin Richards (83.32 pts)