National VW :: Swap Meet & Show
When a bunch of Volkswagen’s get together, you know that a diverse range of people will arrive with them.
The show and swap meet was held this year at the Williamstown Maritime Association just near the main pier of Williamstown. With such a unique location, situated just on the waters edge, this show really made the cars shine.
Don’t be fooled though, the day wasn’t just for enthusiasts. It was also a family friendly day out with heaps of kids and of course dogs out and about enjoying the sunny atmosphere.
The variety of cars on show was huge to say the least, not to mention the amount of parts and unfinished projects that were up for sale.
This BUG was a true show stopper and with an almost Herbie style colour scheme and some summer decals, this was one phenomenal car.
Peering in through the window, this doesn’t look like a Volkswagen… but looks can be deceiving!
The Karmann Ghia coupe is one of the most sought after and collectible VWs. It has its own style and you can even see that hint of Porsche styling within the shape of this car.
Apart from the large collection of VW Beetles and Kombies, there were also a fair amount of type 3 Volkswagens on show.
This is not your average VW Beetle. With enough horse power to move a small planet, it looked truly intimidating. Everything on this car apart from the shell had been constructed just for this build and with the aim of going stupidly fast!
This wasn’t part of the show, but I found it lurking in the car park. I love kit cars, especially ones that are clubman style.
With the Sea Shepard’s “Steve Irwin” looking over the Swap Meet & Show, many people couldn’t help but take a closer look at the famous ship.
The one thing that VW owners know is character. Of all the modified and non modified cars we have seen none have as much character or are as individualised as older VW’s.
The Safari Kombie van is the slightly rarer version of the Kombie. However, in Australia we didn’t get too many of them and to see this one restored was a great sight to see.
This isn’t a VW obviously but Mini Mokes are a dying breed and it seems it’s the perfect run around for the Sea Shepard group. Check out its double canon exhaust setup! Plus its hardcore roll bars makes this little Moke ready for a fight.
What an impressive pillar-less VW custom type 3 coupe. Removing the pillar from this type 3 makes it look much cleaner and puts a new spin on an old favorite.
Some seriously beautiful pipe work here and a monster turbo to match! Love the side by side exhaust and screamer pipe set up.
All kinds of parts were on sale with these speedo’s catching my eye. Parts for these cars are getting so rare that anything in working condition is desirable.
It’s those individual touches that make VWs special. People add the most unique trinkets to their cars which adds real personality to them.
Stephen’s Notchback was looking amazing as usual! Such a clean ride with a great set of wheels to match.
There were lots of Kombies on display and even a few on sale. They are becoming the most prized VW and have seriously gone up in price over the last 5 years.
Not as popular as the Beetle but just as nice is the 1968 Notchback which has the advantage of being just that little bit lighter than the Beetle.
With so many parts and engines for sale this swap meet provided a haven for collectors. It gave restorers a good chance to source that hard to find part needed for their project.
The show had a rather early start so most people disappeared around midday for lunch. Yet there still were a few die-hard VW fans checking out the remaining cars.
There is always one in a crowd that sticks out! Rossko’s 1600 Squareback certainly does that! We first spotted this car at the Hanging Rock Car Show and may even feature it in the future.
The day was full of great cars and fantastic people. The Volkswagen community is growing with every year! With many of the members traveling interstate for this very show it truly represents their passion for these wonderful cars.
Thanks for looking,
-Grant