FULL CUSTOM ’52 SPLIT
While VWs have been an integral part of the custom car world for decades, they still rarely mingle with the hot rod and custom car fraternities.
Of course, some ‘get it’, but a lot still view them with contempt and derision. It’s a shame, as when you really get to talk to people, you’d be amazed how many of these same folk drove Beetles in their younger days, before moving on to Porsche 911s, or away from air-cooled entirely and into hot rodded Fords, or American cars.
Ultimately, no one can argue that some stellar custom VWs have been built through the years, and they’ve not all come from America. British cars that spring immediately to mind include Michael Leche’s peach-coloured Homer custom Bug, Martin Taylor’s turbocharged 1952 Split Beetle and, well, most of the Best of Show winners at The VolksWorld Show over the years.
However, very few of the top-notch VWs build on either side of the Atlantic have taken on the hot rod / custom car world at their own shows. Exceptions include Bernard Newbury’s green Karmann Ghia coupé, which won the coveted Best in Britain award at the Doncaster hot rod and custom show in the 1990s. [Let’s not forget Chris Addington’s Rodbuster Ghia and Bernt Karlsson’s Pink Lady
