what happened to VWs in Australia???

recently my friend was given boxes full of old HOT 4s, street machine, STREET n STRIP (remember this one!) fast 4s etc etc magazines from his older cousin from the past 15 years. 100s of magazines.

flicking thru mags from the early 90s there are so many VWs in each magazine, sometimes up to 4 feature cars r volkswagens in HOT 4s with maybe a rotor here or there and a gemini or sumthing. a tonne of them a worked Ovals.
as the years go on u see them start to whither out till they just dissapear altogether i the late 90s. im aware that at this time there were VW mags in australia, but im just wondering wat happened to make VWs drop out of the modified car spotlight?
also seems VW events had alot of co operation wit other types of cars shows. now its a rare sight to find a vw in any of these mags.

i know im new to the scene, so i was wondering if any of the elders could shed some light on this.

thanks
sam

In the late 80's, early 90's there really wasn't much else around. People used to do up older cars, hence there'd be lots of Gemini's, Mazda's, Escorts, and VWs in the magazines.

Nowadays, people will go out and buy a newer car, and put on their exhaust, wheels, stereo, and do a bit of detailing and that's it.

The respect for the older cars is no longer there with the street crowd I feel, and not many of the younger crowd know much about VWs - escept those that are in to them.

Peer pressure I think put an end to it with VW's in these magazines. I remember seeing letters to editors about why put a "shitty VW" into a hot car mag. People just didn't get it. And still don't.

I cruised down into Terrigal a couple of Thursday nights ago [apparently it's a big night for cars in Terrigal], and had some people laugh as I cruised by in the cab...lowered, sprintstars.....they just didn't KNOW what the heck to make of it.

I think it's up to us to keep on taking our cars to the masses at non-VW type events, and show people the scene. I'd actually love to organise a trip into Terrigal one Thursday night with a whole lot of VW's and help educate people about the "look", and what can be done with the humble VW.

But you're right Sam....the cars just don't get the look in anymore, because a lot of the younger guys [yourself and others on the foum excluded of course] don't want to see them in the current crop of magazines.

too many fast and the furious wanna bees..
oh well each to their own..

I'll give you a list of what happened, (to summarise it was the 'Hot Hatch' movement);

Nissan Exa / ET pulsar
Toyota corolla twin cam (AE86)
Pulsar SSS
Silvia
Mazda 323 turbo
Ford Laser TX3 turbo

etc etc etc

Basically up until the mid 80's there was no real 4's around apart from the VW's, escorts cortina's and geminis. Then all of a sudden the fuel price spiked and 4 cylinder cars became much more prolific. With tthe greater choice, many people started to pick up more modern cars and work them instead of the humble old volksie.

Truth be told I can see the attraction sometimes.

Years ago a VW was a cheap car to do up.
Now its a lot cheaper to do a corrola, EXA, laser etc.
Also these cars have heaters that work, and engines you dont have to mess with every couple of hundred K's.
i.e. points, lots of oil changes, etc.

Also the newer cars like the laser, or whatever, are more economical, faster and safer.

It is now only the enthusiats that have VW's, they are too expensive for anyone else.

Cheers
Dave

The cars are still around but they dont participate as much this days those where the days you will see the real VW if you ask them why? POLITICS.........

[Edited on 23-4-2005 by bocka64]

i believe some of the "younger" car scene are turning, and respecting the VW..

all the assemblers at work, and a few of the painters aswell.. buy every issue of Street Machine and street commodores and cap like that..

but whenever there is a VW in there, they all crowd around and have a look.. and always make a point to me if they see a nice looking bug on the roads..

maybe it is just because im there i dunno..

but these are boys who love their V8's and they still have respect for our cars.. one told me on friday, if he had the cash he'd do a beetle or Type 3 up olde skool like mine.. bit different to the EH's in his garage...

Morris 1000, 100E Prefect, A40 Farina, Mk1 & 2 Cortina, Lotus Cortina, Ford Anglia, Hillman Imp, Ford Escort, Ford Capri, MGA and MGB, Triumph TR4, AH Sprite, AH 100-4
Mini.. These were all affordable cars

I could go on.. In the 60's, 70's and early 80's, the VW had competition from probably a wider range of 4 cyl cars (that were either mild performance in stock mode or could be modified) than you have today. The truth is, the british car industry screwed itself in the 70's and never recovered. Then the mid 70's oil crisis hit and the Japs were ready while the british industry was going bankrupt..

Man, those were the days.. Unless you have seen a cortina, a morrie thou and a Cooper S, line up for a quick strop around the local shopping centre in the late hours, you wouldn't understand what a great scene it was..

Then we had the muscle car scene which was different altogether. Early Belairs, Customlines up aganst XA's and Monaros, The hemi charger etc..

Sigh... I suppose I wandered again.. Back to thread..


[Edited on 24/4/2005 by StenGuns]

People that remember the Hillman Imp will probably remember a little, box shaped, rear engined shopping basket that Granny drove on Wednesday to bowls.. Thats true, it was all of those things.. But it also had a bloody impressive, rally and hill climb career.. Sound familiar for rear engined cars?.. Good traction, handling.. Add a little extra horsepower and Voila!

I don't know if it's that people don't appreciate them.....they just don't think of getting an old VW maybe

....I took Bel into work the other day...we had our club general meeting that night....I worked a half day so I didn't have to sit in peak hour traffic etc....driving in slow traffic in the middle of lunch hour, Bel was turning heads everywhere....people crossing the streets would walk up close and look at her as they passed....I was getting so many smiles and thumbs up it was very cool :thumb

A lot of people these days don't know how to really drive...they have power steering and cruise control....can't do without the big stereo and aircon.....and power on acceleration....how many are driving automatics these days as well???!!! None synro gear box just freaks them out big time lol

I luv to actually drive a car...not have the car do it all for me and just turn the wheel when I want to veer for whatever reason....so boring

i know what you mean there.. can't stand power steering.. and when i drive an auto i'm always itching myself because my left hand's doing nothing :P
alot of people dislike the old cars nowadays because they're considered 'deathtraps'. of course the people who call them deathtraps are the guys who think they're cool cause they get the back end of their automatic commie out on a wet road.

lol....so true....they feel unsafe driving an old car because they don't want to know how to....if it doesn't have airbags it unsafe

God I hate the new 4x4 drivers who only drive city roads and don't get onto dirt....they are usually the worst drivers....I think they have surpassed the Volvo drivers....maybe they are all ex Volvo drivers :duh 😀

Unfortunately there are a lot of rusted out clap traps on the road ...and any old car gets put into the same category by ignorant people

i get shit all the time at work but its usually from the ricers and wannabe red sun racers. i still put up with it but got respect when they saw the pics of my bug after the crash and i tell them if i was driving a plastic fantastic like they do i wouldnt be here. cause its all about when cars were made with real steel

Barls...they are only jealous of our rides 🙂

...actually my work friends love to pile into Dr L and hoon around....his extractors sound so cool as the noise bounces of building walls down the side streets of city...he's a dude 😎

[Edited on 24-4-2005 by jenz58]

yes they are i know it and they will be even more jealous when i get chaos back on the road i miss him so bad. its been over 12 months since i drove him on the road ( ive driven him around the old mans workshop but its no the same)

...yes I know what it's like not to be able to drive your car....I was so scared that I couldn't warm back to Bel after 11 mths off the road...we had to get reacquainted but it didn't take long....So weird at DOVW had only got her back the day before.....it was the weekend after that I felt good again driving down the Great Ocean Road in her:kiss

i dream of the day when i hop back in him and cruise down the highway at 110km not worrying about hills and making fun of the ricers at the lights. the torque of the 2L is what i miss the most about him.

[Edited on 24/4/2005 by barls]

...hmmmm I don't have good torque but still like to race the Dr off at the lights.... and he can hold his own on the freeway...he can go once moving 😀

its not all about the power but the lines of the cars design and its style of build.
trust me on this on bel is beautiful i saw her in the flesh at the nats and even my old man said that it was a nice clean resto

....'even' your dad??!! lol That's sweet to know .... :kiss for your dad :thumb

i will tell him next time im speaking to him.

....thanks :thumb

I would rather the majority don't know too much about our VW's, let em stick to their Holdens and Fords don't want infidels getting hold of Volksie's now do we!
Rob...