Rather than hijack Craig's post about the upcoming issue #22 of VWMA, I'll start another one.
As we determined, this will make VWMA the longest ever series of professional Australian VW magazines, by the same publisher, with the same name. Well done Craig!
The previous record was by Australian VW Power, 1988-92, with 21 issues. Here they are:
Then we have the 'Paradise' series, put out by Express Publications. There were 20 issues published in a continuing series, from 1994-98, one every two months, but as you can see they did NOT have the same name each issue.
The photo shows all 20 issues, in the actual order they were prublished (left to right in three rows, top to bottom). If you have tried to collect these, check to see which ones you are missing:
In addition to those 20 'regular' issues, Express also published four 'specials', which were collections of repeated and reprinted articles, with the photos and mistakes untouched. Sometimes these were included in a plastic bag, with one of the regular issues:
After this series folded in mid-1998, Express Publications had a 6-month break, then relaunched a new Australian VW magazine, edited this time by Nathan Ponchard.
Instead of being called 'Volkswagen Australia Magazine', as the 'Paradise' magazines were, it was now called 'Australian Volkswagen Magazine'. It only lasted four issues before folding, this time for good:
have you got a pic of all the VWMA issues??
Then there were some 'one-offs' or even 'two-offs', put out by other publishers attempting to cash in on the VW enthusiast movement. These were utter crap:
Then there was Australian VW Scene magazine, published by Lex Cowley in Queensland. This was a very good effort as Lex was a genuine enthusiast, but it only lasted eight issues.
I have seven of them but I'm missing the first one. I know Dave Birchall has all of them!
Yes I do! Since you asked, here are all the 21 issues so far for VWMA. As you can see, the first issue was actually called 'Volkswagen Magazine Australia', changed to 'VW Magazine Australia' after that.
So - we have now had a 'Volkswagen Australia Magazine', an 'Australian Volkswagen Magazine' and a 'Volkswagen Magazine Australia'. All three possibilities!
I have also included a copy of the 'VW Action Day' program from the QLD show in 2003, only because Craig was the editor!
whats scarey is still i have all of those
except i missed 4 of the original vwpowers and never got into that vwscene. i do have the one off with the flame bug on the front but the others i never saw
altho wasnt that vw/porsche power another geoff paradise attempt?
There was also two issues of OZ VW Magazine #1 Nov 1987 & #2 March -April 1988
Cheers Jason
^^^ dude, thats 21 years ago..... have you got any pics of those??
Well done Phil I will have to get the camera out now and do some shots of the other magazines
hope vwma goes a lot longer & with not just bugs but kombi's,type 3 & gias adorning the
covers it deserves to have a long history.
Well done Phil great pics and info, I was surprised I almost have all the VWMA magazines myself
Regards
A wave a day keeps the doctor away especially in a VW 😎:
Well done Phil.
I got most of those. Also a pretty good Hot VW's collection.
I made two cover shots above too 😵
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE
Rohans red devil golf thats on the covers of vwpower #15 and red hot volkswagens #1 is still buzzing around here
altho its got a huge body kit on it now
its often in my mates fibreglass workshop getting the front spoiler repaired cos its so low to the road
I have pretty well all of these magazines as well. mostly the ones I don't have are one's that I have lent to other people and havn't been able to get them back.
I must say though, that I reckon Craig's are the best Australian VW magazines by a long way. Keep it up Craig.
From your ole' mate Jeff
Phil74Camper wrote:In addition to those 20 'regular' issues, Express also published four 'specials', which were collections of repeated and reprinted articles, with the photos and mistakes untouched. Sometimes these were included in a plastic bag, with one of the regular issues:
I remember buying a few of those..
One of the magazines i already had so bought them for one...
My VW magazines are all over the house so I'm not sure what ones I have and don't have...
The ones that i remember were printed on terrible newspaper type paper... terrible black and white or really black and grey photos... I think I still have those...
Lee
PS: those weren't really the good ole days.. lol
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
Jason I only vaguely remember 'OZ VW Magazine', and i don't have copies of the two issues. Haven't seen them at swapmeets recently either otherwise i would have snapped them up. No doubt Dave has copies - hopefully he can post a photo.
Does anyone (apart from Dave) have copies of 'New Horizons', VW's own owners' magazine from 1966-67? Only four issues were ever produced. I have photocopies only. You can browse the four originals in the Mitchell Library.
Yes magazines have come a long way. Craig's VWMA is way better than past efforts - some of the old ones shown above were terrible. Geoff Paradise (who also did that one-off VW-Porsche magazine) used to write and complain when we pointed out his mistakes. Tony Glynn, who was the editor of VW Power, once threatened to withdraw his sponsorship of the VW Nationals unless we 'apologised' for pointing out his mistakes. He had published an article (in issue #3) that said that VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia floopans were identical, and completely interchangeable, and that Ghia bodies were completely handmade. What nonsense!
Phil
Looks like i have a challange for this arvo
meeeh I gave away most of my collection years ago at a nationals swap. Couldnt sell them for $2 each/ 3 for $5. Couldnt sell them for $1 each. At the end of the day I couldnt even GIVE all of them away and ended up throwing probably 2 milk crates worth in the bin. My collection included wheels, motor + FF&R.
I have several years worth of old FF&R again, because I had to buy the lot to get just one magazine. Will try to flog them back on ebay I guess.
Ok Phil heres the number one issue of VW Scene it was A3 size and not very good to read or keep in this format
OZ VW Magazine 2 issues only the guy hit up heaps of companies for several issues of advertising which they paid in advance for then did a runner with the cash
heres a couple of one offs for the VW and Mini enthusists both copies have the " Quickest Beetle in the World " stories talking about one Mr Peter Kegan
and some early Sand buggy magazines
These were produced by Volkswagen in the mid 60s
very interesting reading only 4 published
""" I got most of those. Also a pretty good Hot VW's collection. """
and one for Matt
The number one issus of Hot VWs Magazine from 1967 pity i did pay the cover price of $0.75 cents for it BuggARrrrr
I am starting to realise that I have joined a forum of fruitcakes ! Phil I reckon your levels of enthusiasm was wrong. There is no where on that for Fruitcakes who collect evry possible magazine lol
But jokes aside well done and thanks for the pics of covers. For a none fruitbat person like me its good to see them all. I must admit I have probably owned quite a few of them over the years but they would all be well and trully recycled by now.
Chris I would have taken your Wheels and Modern Motors off you if they were 1982 or earlier - newer ones don't interest me. One of my ambitions is to go through ALL the original issues of these, back to the 1950s (they are in the Mitchell Library) and photocopy all the Volkswagen stuff. A project for a rainy holiday week maybe.
Does any one else have any Australian VW magazines or specials that haven't been posted here yet?
Thanks Dave, love that hvw's #1, mine start in '75. Cheers, you also brought my cover tally to 3 (cars that I've built)👍
I've got all of Lex's mags and used to have two or three of the New Horizon's but long gone now I'm afraid. My brother may have some old oz stuff stashed...
I also have a few early Trends, 2, 3 and 4 are worthy of mention.
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE
