We’re probably a bit biased, but in this fickle world of social media instant wins and Tweet-sized soundbytes, there’s nothing quite like the permanence of printed media. Old brochures, catalogues and magazines capture a moment in time, with all the often-forgotten details that made it unique, without the risk of being lost to defunct photo-hosting services and dead forums. For Morgan Rowlands, dipping into those archives wasn’t just about nostalgia – it’s been a guiding light during a nine-year journey into the murky depths of OEM+.
“My interest in cars is all down to my father, Julian,” he tells us. “He’s been taking me to Volkswagen shows since I was two months old, and I spent my childhood going to events with him in his Mk2F Polo. But that also meant I was lucky to have access to his collection of tuning catalogues and Performance VW mags, then I’ve started collecting brochures from different countries to get ideas from those too. It showed me lots of things I had to have.” If you don’t know Julian by name – or variations of his ‘Gotwood’ forum and social media handle – then chances are you’ll at least have seen photos of the Polo at some point. Straight out of the air-cooled world with its wood panels, chrome and OEM+ rarities, it’s best known for its toilet-themed ICE install and still crops up in forum threads over a decade later. Growing up on a diet of car shows,
