The awakening

Many of us enthusiasts reminisce fondly about the 1980’s VW scene, a fact confirmed by the success of the exhibits at this year’s VolksWorld Show, and California’s Grand National Roadster Show. The custom VW scene was huge in the ’80s, and had a massive influence on the car modifying hobby around the world. Indeed, many of the world’s hot rod and custom car builders cut their teeth on Volkswagens.

In Europe, the 1980s also saw the creation of magazine, as well as events such as Bug Jam in the UK and the Nationals in France, but it would be fair to say most European VW owners found inspiration in the cars being built by young Californians at the time. Copies of and were highly sought after, and devoured with gusto when they were found. Although printed partly in black and white, the colour images showed bright cars, equally bright skies and a laid-back attitude we could all aspire