Volksmania In Manila

What’s small and noisy yet reliable and full of beauty?

For the more than 300 members of the Volkswagen Club of the Philippines (VWCP), this question is best answered by them pointing to their cars. Truly, the Volkswagens of old perfectly fit the bill.

To many, it seems improbable that 20- to 30-year-old VWs could still share the road with hulking Expeditions and Suburbans. Yet ask any VWCP member and he’ll tell you, it’s more fun to ride these vintage sets of wheels than any behemoth gas guzzler that now crowd Metro Manila’s streets.

"We consider riding VWs much more comfortable than those of the newer models. When you drive a 30-year-old Beetle that‘s fully set-up and performs well on the road, all eyes are on you," says VWCP president Cesar Martinez, a physician.

VWCP was formed in 1985 by eight enthusiasts who wanted to preserve, maintain and restore VWs in the country. These guys loved their VWs so much that they wanted to get them going for as long as possible. So they bonded, exchanged ideas and know-hows on maintenance and care.

Among the club’s founding members are Eddie Roces, president of ABC Channel 5; Andy Ferreria, a professor at the Asian Institute of Management; and Maqie Chanco, a VW restorer.

The club’s formation was welcomed by all VW fans, especially those interested in restoring old cars. It provided the venue for exchanging information and giving of advice as well as pointers and tips on where to source spare parts here and abroad. It also served as a ready source of good mechanics and technicians.

"Since most of our members have their own VW restoration, repair, and modification shops, they became vritual VW encyclopedias. They know where to get which part from where, which part fits which models and which parts can be upgraded," Martinez says.

At present, there are about 350 VWCP members nationwide, most of them professionals. The club now has chapters in Laguna, Batangas, Pangasinan, Baguio, Cagayan, Tuguegarao, and Quezon. Soon it will spread to Isabela, Dumaguete and Mindanao.

Love object

When people say Volkswagen, the Beetle immediately comes to mind. But aside from the Beetle, there are also the Karmann Ghia, the Kombi, the Transporters, the Crew Cabs, the Pick-ups, and – believe it or not – the sport-utilities such as the Thing or 181, Country Buggy, Dune Buggy, Street Buggy and Sand Rails.

"You see all these VW models parade during our different activities such as mini car shows and bug runs," says Martinez who has driven a ’68 Karmann Ghia, a ’67 Dune Buggy and a ’62 Beetle which has been the most dependable among his VWs.

"I took my ’62 Beetle to Vigan, Baguio and Quezon and so far it hasn’t failed me. I started restoring it this year and it’s already in the painting stage. Hopefully, I can bring it to the Annual VW Day for competition this December," he shares.

Martinez experienced how reliable a VW is when the club joined the Philippine Centennial Archipelago Run in 1998, a grueling nine-day and 3,000-kilometer run from Manila to Cagayan de Oro and back. The VWCP brought a ’68 Westfalia Camper to join a convoy of newer vehicles like a ’98 Mitsubishi L-300, a ’97 Toyota Tamaraw and a ’98 Isuzu Hi-Lander.

"Everybody thought our team wouldn’t make it since we started out as underdogs but the 30-year-old Camper finished the run without any breakdowns. In fact, midway through the run we were already leading the pack because our team was more organized than the others," Martinez recalls.

To VW enthusiasts, their cars are not merely automobiles but "love objects." They spend as much as P300,000 restoring their VWs and putting them in "showroom condition."

"VW restoration can be very expensive. One can spend more than P300,000 maintaining it but it is the value of the car to the person that matters, the years the owner has devoted to bring back the car’s glory days," Martinez says.

The extraordinary penchant for this small and lovable car was best manifested by one of the members who was offered P700,000 in cash by a Korean who wanted to buy his Karmann Ghia convertible. The member nonchalantly told the buyer the car was not for sale, much to the Korean’s surprise.

"That’s how much the members value their cars. No matter how big the offer is, the members won’t easily give up their VWs even if the car is already 30 years old," says Martinez.

This Oct. 3 to 7, see these small, noisy yet reliable and beautiful cars in their restored glory when the 12th Motorshow International goes full-blast at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. VWCP is participating in the Ultron Car Clubs Meet, a gathering of different car clubs.

The show is presented by Petron, Oriental & Motolite, Eva Air, Bayer, Adobo Interactive, Rev Magazine, Crossover 105.1, Joey@Rhythms 92.3, Citylite 88.3 and NU Rock 107.5.