Forget the throbbing music, the slammed cars that sit so low they scrape dead flies off the road and vehicles festooned with every conceivable non-period accessory. Lavenham International Vintage Volkswagen Meeting is for those who crave originality and savour the more historic vehicles on the Dub scene…

Held in the picturesque town of Lavenham this year on 24-26 June the show caters for mostly unmolested Veedubs made up to August 1967, with the showcase display of the very earliest (pre-’57) Beetles, Karmann Ghia convertibles and Buses taking place in the medieval village’s town square. Other display areas included a local sports arena, accompanied by a small trade area. Nearby was visitor parking for vehicles that did not meet the show criteria – but as always these too provided plenty of interest for those in attendance interested in doing a bit of tyre kicking.

Roughly 160 vehicles from all over the continent made their way to the usually sleepy Suffolk town for the main showday on the Saturday, with a brilliantly constructed cruise taking place the following morning. Even a huge downpour on Sunday did little to dampen the spirit of those who took part in the weekend and proved that while these might be some of the rarest VWs on the scene, owners weren’t afraid to get them wet. Or at least had the facilities to dry them off thoroughly when they got home!

Highlights were too numerous to mention, but the real eyecatchers for us included the 1942 Schwimmwagen owned by Phil Jarvis and of course Historic Volksagen Club chairman Charles Oldroyd’s Iris Blue ’56 Beetle Cabriolet as well as a Dutch owned ‘49 Beetle complete with Judson supercharger. Several Beetles fitted with roof-mounted tents were also just a bit unusual.

And we loved seeing the many Karmann Ghias, both coupés and convertibles being represented.

Organised by the Historic Volkswagen Club with support from the Split Screen Van Club (and sponsored by our good selves), a bit like the Olympics, what makes the whole affair that bit more special is the fact that it is only held every four years. Needless to say, like most olympians also, we’re already looking forward to 2020.

Ian

The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of VW Heritage.

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