Historic VW Festival 2003

Hatton Park

This year the Historic VW Festival saw a move to yet another venue, was this “a move too far?” we will have to wait and see. The Historic VW Festival has always been a small event catering for enthusiasts of early Volkswagens; it is organised by the Historic Volkswagen Club and was in previous years known as "Avoncroft". After spending many years at Avoncroft and a brief interlude at Coughton Court, this year the 'Historic VW Festival' resides at 'Hatton Country World', near Warwick. The event was held on a site that was nothing more than an empty field along the driveway to the 'Country World', however, a short stroll down the driveway leads you to the 'Country World' offering a range of attractions for all the family, including a shopping village, farm nature trail, children's play area and much more. Anyway; back to the Volkswagens.

The show took its usual format, that being a one day event with a small concours consisting of a maximum of 6 classes, a large display of early Beetles, a good selection of early type 2's and a hand full of clubs and traders.

Although the quality of vehicles entered into the concours was high, the quantity was disappointingly low with only five of the six classes running, and two of those had to be combined together. From the comments made on the day I got the impression that many of the owners of early Beetles preferred to show their cars off in the display rather than enter the concours. Why this is when Stanford Hall’s concours seems to be getting bigger and better year after year god only knows, but never mind, the Beetle display again brought out some of the best pre 67 Beetles in the UK, some vehicles on display weren’t pristine and one or two could be described as “work in progress” but I think that’s the whole point of the display, to show just how many early Beetles are still on the roads in the UK and to allow the owners to display their pride and joy. 

Overall, in my opinion, the event is a reflection of the very early VW shows before the introduction of PA systems and evening entertainment, a pleasant, quiet atmosphere where real enthusiasts of early VWs can get together and meet fellow enthusiasts to chat, meet old friends, discuss the latest restoration story or find that illusive part. Long may it continue.