Makes you proud to know Australia now has three VW magazines.
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MISS VDUB
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posted on April 5th, 2013 at 12:46 PM
Awesome stuff Paul!
1963 Single Cab Ute: "El Concreto"
1962 Baja Beetle: "Peanut"
1968 Porsche 912 SWB: "Pip"
1972 Kombi Snail: "The Snail"
2012 Skoda Octavia Scout: "Scout"
2016 Scirocco R: "Rocco"
hus22l
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posted on April 5th, 2013 at 01:23 PM
Awesome ! Who stocks it in Sydney CBD? I have never seen it.
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posted on April 5th, 2013 at 02:07 PM
Where do we get a copy?
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE
70 Jafa
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posted on April 5th, 2013 at 03:24 PM
Online only, I subscribe to it through AppStore
Pumba
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posted on April 5th, 2013 at 06:22 PM
Quote:
Makes you proud to
know Australia now has three VW magazines.
Online only is not really a magazine,i will stick to the real deal VWMA
69 Beetle
66 Beetle
56 Beetle
Super1302
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posted on April 5th, 2013 at 06:39 PM
Its an ezine, better than noth'n I guess. Better have a gander online then
waltermitty
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posted on April 5th, 2013 at 09:51 PM
If its an Aussie mag how come it costs almost 1/2 price if I am pay USD?
Price: US$3.99 / £2.99 / A$5.49
Please explain. Mitchell
23 windows ...8 too many!
Paul Cave
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posted on May 1st, 2013 at 05:16 PM
Quote:
Originally
posted by waltermitty
If its an Aussie mag how come it costs almost 1/2 price if I am pay USD?
Price: US$3.99 / £2.99 / A$5.49
Please explain. Mitchell
Yes, we were pretty P'd off too. Apple uses a series of pricing bands. We get to name the price in US Dollars and have to read off the appropriate
price in UK pounds, AUS dollars, etc. It's not fair and it's Apple's way of doing things, not ours.
Now we've also released Kombi Life magazine and the same issue exists. Apple (and others) were recently giving evidence infront of a select committee
defending their pricing policy in Australia and price gouging. It makes not one iota where the magazine is published, Apple still sets the rates. We
could have been in the UK or the US. As soon as we chose US$3.99 the rest of the rates are set by them, not us.
The gap closes up when the price per copy is less. Take for example Kombi Life. One year - four issue subscription: £6.99 /US$9.99 /AUD$10.49
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Paul Cave
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posted on May 1st, 2013 at 05:40 PM
I just want to add a big thank-you to all those who have bought a copy of either Aircooled Classics or Kombi Life interactive digital magazine through
iTunes or wherever. Starting up in business is never easy - and we're bound to have our knockers, even though we're all in the same game. Go
figure.
Australia is our third largest market, with the USA and UK leading the pack. Most magazines are available in digital form these days. All the big UK
VW mags are, although they remain as digital reproductions only so lack a bit of quality. Australia can claim to have the only interactive digital VW
magazines in the world, built specifically for the digital platform.
I will say this. We seriously thought about starting a paper VW magazine. But Australia doesn't have room for two paper VW magazines. It would have
caused friction and the demise of one or both, given advertising revenue to support both wouldn't exist. We chose not to go the paper route, and
we're offering free or very low cost advertising to Australian-only businesses too.
Not going paper and offering low cost advertising will enable Craig to keep producing VWMA as advertisers can still afford to help him pay for his
paper costs, etc. We have deliberately steered away from 100% Australian content for the same reason. This way we can all be in business and friends
at the same time. I hope this makes sense.
Coincidentally, we're also based in Queensland.
Cheers,
Paul
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posted on May 1st, 2013 at 06:18 PM
Paul...
Mate massive credit to you & the team for bringing this to the Australian VW family...
Forget all the above crap, business, magazine etc etc... what i admire YOU for the most, is that more then once you mentioned VWMA (Craig). Take balls
mate i dont care what anyone else says... your both in the game to make money... keep us lot all happy etc etc
keep up the great work.
cheers matty
"When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends"
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posted on May 1st, 2013 at 06:25 PM
Quote:
Originally
posted by shaven
Paul...
Mate massive credit to you & the team for bringing this to the Australian VW family...
Forget all the above crap, business, magazine etc etc... what i admire YOU for the most, is that more then once you mentioned VWMA (Craig). Take balls
mate i dont care what anyone else says... your both in the game to make money... keep us lot all happy etc etc
keep up the great work.
cheers matty
Wow! Wasn't expecting that! Very nice of you to say so.
[size=5]Home of Aircooled Classics, Kombi Life & VolksAmerica VW Magazines on the Sunny Coast, QLD. www.pitstopmags.com[/size]
Phil74Camper
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posted on May 2nd, 2013 at 08:21 AM
Hi Paul, fantastic effort, the covers look great. Yes you are a probably right, the Australian market is probably too small to support two air-cooled
VW magazines at the newsagents. While Craig's VWMA is going really well, there have been lots of other earlier magazines that have folded after a few
issues. VW Power, the Geoff Paradise 'Volkswagen Australia' series, VW & Porsche Power, Aust VW Scene, Aust VW Magazine, etc etc. Even VW
Australia's own magazine from the 1960s, New Horizons, folded after only 4 issues. I once described and catalogued them all, and you can read the
summary here :
Sadly the number of air-cooled VWs on our roads is steadily shrinking. The last Type 3 was sold here in 1974, the last Beetle in 1977 and the last
air-cooled T3 Kombi in 1984. In 1987 the Bureau of Statistics' vehicle registration survey recorded 170,000 Volkswagens on Australian roads, the
survivors of the 420,000 or so sold up to that point. Almost all were air-coolers. Since then the number dropped to less than 25,000 by the mid-1990s,
and less than 10,000 by the mid-2000s. Today there are probably less than 5,000 left, so we are a declining market in terms of numbers participating,
even if our individual enthusiasm is as strong as ever.
There is a market opportunity for an Australian 'modern', or water-cooled, VW magazine. VW sells over 50,000 new vehicles here every year nowadays,
so there are plenty of potential new customers who may not have any interest (yet) in the classic air-coolers. And of course there are also plenty of
air-cooled VW owners who also drive and love modern VWs (I'm one). Maybe something to consider.
Good luck with the Kombi Life magazine. The Brits do well with their 'VW Camper' magazine, so hopefully you can capture similar enthusiasts here.
Glad you're including T4 and T5 Transporters, as they are all the same family. However please note that only T1, T2 and T3 Transporters are 'Type
2'. After 1965 all these have a '2'-based code in their chassis number or VIN to indicate their type - 21 for panel van, 22 for Microbus, 23 for
Kombi, 24 for T3 pickup, 25 for T3 van/microbus, 26 for pickup, 27 for ambulance. But the T4 Transporter is a model '70', and the T5 is a '7H', so
they're not Type 2s. Interestingly however the Crafter is a '2E', the Caddy is a '2K' and the Amarok is a '2H', so really they ARE VW Type 2s
as well!
If some of the stories come from the UK, I hope you'll edit all the references to T3 Kombis being 'Type 25s' or 'T25s'. Yes the full-body T3 is a
model 25 from the VIN, but the single and double-cab pickups are Type 24s. There is no such thing as a T25 pickup -it's a T3 pickup.
Also I HATE the term 'bay' or 'bay window' and refuse to use them. T2 Kombis have panoramic windows, not bay windows, which are mullioned,
multi-paned and multi-sashed. VW never used the term. It was a pure invention by UK journalist Lawrence Meredith, who worked for VW Motoring in the
late 1980s. He wrote some books about Kombis in the early 1990s and first used the term then. They were published by BAY BOOKS ! It was his sneaky way
of promoting his publishing company, and unfortunately it has stuck. But I won't use it.
I edit Club VW Sydney's magazine Zeitschrift. You are welcome to download old issues and reuse any articles and photos you wish, so long as you
acknowledge where they came from - 'Zeitschrift, Club VW Sydney'. Download old isses here:
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posted on May 2nd, 2013 at 07:14 PM
Can you subscribe to get back orders? And are they available to print at all
Paul Cave
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posted on May 8th, 2013 at 01:42 PM
Thank you.
Quote:
Originally
posted by MISS VDUB
Awesome stuff Paul!
[size=5]Home of Aircooled Classics, Kombi Life & VolksAmerica VW Magazines on the Sunny Coast, QLD. www.pitstopmags.com[/size]
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posted on May 8th, 2013 at 01:44 PM
Yes, back orders will always be available. Download the free app and I believe you'll see what you want.
Quote:
Originally
posted by Super1302
Can you subscribe to get back orders? And are they available to print at all
[size=5]Home of Aircooled Classics, Kombi Life & VolksAmerica VW Magazines on the Sunny Coast, QLD. www.pitstopmags.com[/size]
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posted on May 8th, 2013 at 02:22 PM
Phil - so much info... OK, let's get the Bay Window issue out of the way first. The name has stuck and so it's going to stick around in Kombi Life
magazine. Sorry, but it's on the front cover for good reason. I know, I know... When I last spoke to Laurence Meredith, which was a long time ago
back in the late Nineties, he never mentioned his 'Bay' claim to fame. The thought never occured to me either.
I'm with you on the T3. The 'T25' is banned. The odd one gets through, of course...
Did you meet my wife in Sydney on the Australia Day celebration week. You guys were in the centre of Sydney as part of a display of classic cars. I
wasn't there - just holding the fort up here and doing my best to fend off the cyclone. She said she spoke tp a few members on the day and one, I
forget his name, was kind enough to give us a copy of the NSW club magazine. Was it you by chance?
Well, between the two magazines we cover a lot of aircooled cars and some watercooled ones too, so I guess we're Australia's other VW air and
watercooled magazine now! Even so, by being what we are we're ensuring Craig can keep producing VWMA for the good of Australia and we can supplement
the VW scene with a more global magazine that covers different aspects. It's good to have two magazines that don't compete. Three's even better,
now that Kombi Life is alive and kicking. Of course we will cross paths sometimes. Take for instance the 356 pre-A covered in an early issue, and
we've got Tony's Ace Antenna van coming out soon, but we lay things out differently and being digital design the features really do come to life.
Plus the ability to zoom in for detail is a bonus, as is carrying video content and slide shows.
As for an all encompassing VW magazine the thought has occured to me; right now the workload would be immense. Having said that, I've started work on
something interesting, but it's very much in its infancy. Das Dub
Magazine
Thanks for the links and offers. I'll follow-up in due course!
Perhaps meet up at the Nationals on Sunday? Doing the Porsche meet on the Saturday at Eastern Creek. We were thinking of having a trade stand at the
Nationals - bit difficult to do when you've got no paper to haul around! Oh well, quite beneficial in a way. Less excess baggage at check-in I
suppose...
Quote:
Originally
posted by Phil74Camper
Hi Paul, fantastic effort, the covers look great. Yes you are a probably right, the Australian market is probably too small to support two air-cooled
VW magazines at the newsagents. While Craig's VWMA is going really well, there have been lots of other earlier magazines that have folded after a few
issues. VW Power, the Geoff Paradise 'Volkswagen Australia' series, VW & Porsche Power, Aust VW Scene, Aust VW Magazine, etc etc. Even VW
Australia's own magazine from the 1960s, New Horizons, folded after only 4 issues. I once described and catalogued them all, and you can read the
summary here :
Sadly the number of air-cooled VWs on our roads is steadily shrinking. The last Type 3 was sold here in 1974, the last Beetle in 1977 and the last
air-cooled T3 Kombi in 1984. In 1987 the Bureau of Statistics' vehicle registration survey recorded 170,000 Volkswagens on Australian roads, the
survivors of the 420,000 or so sold up to that point. Almost all were air-coolers. Since then the number dropped to less than 25,000 by the mid-1990s,
and less than 10,000 by the mid-2000s. Today there are probably less than 5,000 left, so we are a declining market in terms of numbers participating,
even if our individual enthusiasm is as strong as ever.
There is a market opportunity for an Australian 'modern', or water-cooled, VW magazine. VW sells over 50,000 new vehicles here every year nowadays,
so there are plenty of potential new customers who may not have any interest (yet) in the classic air-coolers. And of course there are also plenty of
air-cooled VW owners who also drive and love modern VWs (I'm one). Maybe something to consider.
Good luck with the Kombi Life magazine. The Brits do well with their 'VW Camper' magazine, so hopefully you can capture similar enthusiasts here.
Glad you're including T4 and T5 Transporters, as they are all the same family. However please note that only T1, T2 and T3 Transporters are 'Type
2'. After 1965 all these have a '2'-based code in their chassis number or VIN to indicate their type - 21 for panel van, 22 for Microbus, 23 for
Kombi, 24 for T3 pickup, 25 for T3 van/microbus, 26 for pickup, 27 for ambulance. But the T4 Transporter is a model '70', and the T5 is a '7H', so
they're not Type 2s. Interestingly however the Crafter is a '2E', the Caddy is a '2K' and the Amarok is a '2H', so really they ARE VW Type 2s
as well!
If some of the stories come from the UK, I hope you'll edit all the references to T3 Kombis being 'Type 25s' or 'T25s'. Yes the full-body T3 is a
model 25 from the VIN, but the single and double-cab pickups are Type 24s. There is no such thing as a T25 pickup -it's a T3 pickup.
Also I HATE the term 'bay' or 'bay window' and refuse to use them. T2 Kombis have panoramic windows, not bay windows, which are mullioned,
multi-paned and multi-sashed. VW never used the term. It was a pure invention by UK journalist Lawrence Meredith, who worked for VW Motoring in the
late 1980s. He wrote some books about Kombis in the early 1990s and first used the term then. They were published by BAY BOOKS ! It was his sneaky way
of promoting his publishing company, and unfortunately it has stuck. But I won't use it.
I edit Club VW Sydney's magazine Zeitschrift. You are welcome to download old issues and reuse any articles and photos you wish, so long as you
acknowledge where they came from - 'Zeitschrift, Club VW Sydney'. Download old isses here:
[size=5]Home of Aircooled Classics, Kombi Life & VolksAmerica VW Magazines on the Sunny Coast, QLD. www.pitstopmags.com[/size]
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posted on May 8th, 2013 at 02:55 PM
I may as well prove the point... Sorry. World Exclusive - seeing as it's no where else on the WWW right now. Here's the new front cover for Kombi
Life - Issue 2 - magazine in development.
Two Aussie vans being feature in this one. Tony's Ace Antenna Split photographed on a Victorian pier and a nice Blue Bay pictured around Sydney
Content in this issue from Australia, UK, Belgium, France, USA and the Netherlands (so far). We may be Australian based (QLD), but we're making Kombi
Life (and Aircooled Classics) as global in terms of content as possible so as not to tread on anyone's toes. I'm sure Craig's OK with this.
Paul
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ragged
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posted on May 9th, 2013 at 12:40 AM
I don't mind the term 'Bay Window' as a description or term to identify a kombi.
We all have real names that our parents give us and most have a nickname that your mates give you.
If it fits, it sticks. If not we all forget it and you keep your real name.
PS well done on the magazine. Nice to see the old dubs are keeping up with technology!
Dave
Phil74Camper
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posted on May 9th, 2013 at 08:13 AM
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comments. Yes in previous years I used to display my Kombi at the NRMA Australia Day car show in Sydney; Club Veedub had been
displaying for over 20 years. But in 2011 I got into a nasty argument with the little Hitlers from the Sydney City Council who insisted we take down
our folding shade marquee - they 'weren't permitted.' We (and our kids) had to be there from 7am to 4pm in the sun without any shade allowed. I
haven't been back since, and the NRMA didn't run it this year. But yes some of our members still went along this year, so I'm glad you picked up a
copy of Zietschrift.
I'll have to agree to disagree over the 'bay window' thing - I hate it and won't use it. Lawrence should have called it the 'Pano' Kombi (for
'panoramic' window) and that would have been better. Volkswagen tried to call the T2 the 'Clipper' but Pan Am took legal action to stop them. The
Americans would know them more as just 'VW Buses', while to Germans they are 'Bullys'. It seems to be Aussies who refer to the whole range - vans,
Microbuses, pickups - as 'Kombis', and the bay window thing is a very recent kewl trend. Lawrence also tried to label the T3 as the 'Wedge', and
others have tried the 'Loaf', but neither (thankfully) have caught on.
Years before creating and popularisig the 'bay window' nickname for the T2, Lawrence Meredith once wrote a letter to Safer Motoring in 1982
objecting to the use of the terms 'oval' and 'split' for early Beetles. I remember him writing that he never used the term 'can of coke', saying
it should always be 'a tin of coca-cola.' He also objected to the term 'vintage Volkswagen', saying that there was no such thing and only cars
made from 1919 to 1929 were 'vintage' (older ones were 'veteran'). Now he is entitled to argue these semantics and correct usage of certain terms,
but then to turn around and invent 'bay window' years later ... it smacks of hypocrisy to me.
Ultimately, a T2 Kombi simply DOESN'T HAVE a bay window. This is what a real bay window looks like. Sure anyone can use the term for a VW if they
wish, I can't stop them, but I personally won't succumb to peer pressure, or the dumb sheep mentality - 'everyone else does so I will.'
Yes I'll be at the VW Nationals, running the audi-visual at the Club VW stand and doing voice-overs. My T2 Kombi will be there, my 12-yr old daughter
will be helping me, so come and say hi.
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posted on May 15th, 2013 at 07:39 AM
but can it be called a bay window if its not facing the bay? Otherwise its just a window....
