PoloDriver

The three letters G, T and I have played an important part in Volkswagen’s history for the past 34 years, and have earned respect from critics and enthusiasts the world over. Huge armies of devoted fans across the globe follow the performance Volkswagens (us at PoloDriver.com included), and events such as GTI International cater for these specific interests. Beginning as a small meeting of Golf GTI enthusiasts in 1988 at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, the ‘UK’s greatest gathering of of VW and Audi enthusiasts’ is now traditionally run at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire over the last weekend in June.

[Click ‘Read More’ below for gallery of pictures at end of post.]

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The VW show scene is so diverse. One week there’s a national show, the next a local event, the next an international or continental gathering. Stanford Hall started our season this year, but this weekend we took in a more local event closer to home. The Essex Vee Dubbers club have organised the Battlesbridge VW Weekend Show for a while now, and as it was only 10 miles or so down the road, it would have been criminal if we hadn’t given it a look. With show ‘n’ shine and concours classes both days, we were hoping there would be some a good Polo turnout.

Staged in fields at the back of Battlesbridge Antiques Centre in Battlesbridge, Essex, the Essex Vee Dubbers show attracts cars and traders galore, if not quite on the same scale as Stanford Hall. With air-cooled and water-cooled Volkswagen of all types in attendance, there were a fair number of Polos on display both in the car park and the main show arena. Local club Renegade Dubs were there, as well as VW retailer Inchcape Chelmsford, who took along a smart-looking new Polo fitted with an optional body kit and large alloy wheels. Click on the gallery below for a small slideshow.

The first Bank Holiday in May means only one thing to VW enthusiasts of a classic persuasion; Stanford Hall. The long-running Leicestershire and Warwickshire VW Owners Club show has kicked off many enthusiasts’ seasons for the last 34 years and is usually blessed with good weather. This year wasn’t quite so good on that front (in fact, at times it was very cold), but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the owners who brought their classic Volkswagens to the grounds of Stanford Hall itself, just outside Lutterworth.

Traditionally a show with an air-cooled bias, the water-cooled fraternity have been embraced in recent years and 2009’s event saw something of a Polo coming, with the forming of a dedicated single-model concours class. It was the same again this year. The field may have been a little down on 2009 with only four cars vying for points, but 2010’s competition threw up a few surprises. One of which, was Nathan Popple’s 1986 Polo C hatchback, which has appeared on the scene after being liberated by a selling elderly owner. Not the first choice for a concours car you may think, but for a first time out, the low-mileage ‘breadvan’ picked up a respectable 108 points out of 150.

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The first Volkswagen event for many this year takes place over the Bank Holiday weekend. Sunday 2 May sees the staging of Stanford Hall 2010, which by our reckoning, is the 34th running of the well-loved classic Volkswagen show. Largely focusing on standard cars, the event used to favour air-cooled VWs, but over the past few years there’s been an ever-increasing water-cooled contingent.

The UK Polo forums have been buzzing with news of older Polos’ anticipated attendance, and we know at least one club will be present. We’ll be there, too, and with our range of promotional material, you should be able to spot us. Find us in the club stand area, and if we’re not checking out the show, pop across to talk Polo.