VolksWorld - February 2006 - AutomationJet

28 February 2006 www.volksworld.com
Brian Burrows – VW event organiser and
host of www.volkszone.com
BELOW RIGHT New Waves from South East
London/North Surrey was the best known club
in 1992 BELOW Andy Parrott took Best of Show.
An amazingly detailed car for the time
The 1st VolksWorld Show
In my opinion, 1992 was another of
those ‘seminal’ years. 1989 had been
one, when UK show cars came of age.
1992 would see VW Drag Racing events
blossom and progress and with it many
new racers and racecars.
For me, the year started with loads of
rushing around trying to get Outrage II built
and detailed as soon as possible. A new
event had been announced - The VolksWorld
Show - promoted on VolksWorld’s behalf by
Andrew Cook and Keith Jackson (of current
Proteus III VW Dragster fame) at the Rex
Centre in the centre of Birmingham.
By the time the show came around in
March, we had already tested Outrage II (in
primer) at Santa Pod on a cold Wednesday
afternoon. It had alerted us to a couple of
minor ‘design faults’ which were put right
before the fi nal paintjob and detailing were
carried out. I had secured a modest
sponsorship deal with URO Automotive who
wanted to promote their new ‘VW Dream
Machine’ franchise network and their logos
had to be incorporated. In the end, I stuck
with my company colours of Silver and Pink
(with a white ‘rip’). Once painted, I airbrushed
the headlights, tail-lights and horn-grilles to
help give the stretched GRP body the look of
a real Beetle.
The car debuted at the RexCentre and
people seemed genuinely blown away. The
show was awesome, very different to ‘regular’
VW shows. It was indoors, for a start, very
similar to the old Custom Car shows and the
display vehicles were over three fl oors. Simon
and Shane at The Paintbox had badgered
their clientelle to bring along their showcars
(a tradition that is carried on to this day) and
by the time all the displays were in place, the
cream of the UK VW world were all present.
‘Home’ built Cal-Lookers, Buggies and Type
Threes rubbed shoulders with ‘Pro’ built Customs
and Buses. The traders supported the
had parked my car in a church car park
nearby. When I checked out the following
morning and was loading up my car, I was
approached by the vicar who started ranting
at me for parking there. I mean really ‘losing
it’, I thought he was going to get violent.
Then he suddenly stopped and suggested I
donate some cash to the church fund - very
Christian! What I actually donated was some
tyre rubber as I beat a hasty exit.
Despite the local scallies’ best efforts the
“ ”
What I actually donated was some tyre
rubber as I beat a hasty exit
show too, with every major, and less major, show was deemed a success and I even
name displaying and/or selling at the event. took home the ‘Best Racecar’ trophy. Brett
I remember the show vividly, for many Hawksbee had just created his new video
reasons - seeing all those beautiful cars magazine ‘Channel VW’ on VHS and the
in one building, the Can-Can girl dancers, cameras were there to record everything for
the ‘Film Studio’ make-up artists putting posterity. Sadly, he only produced two issues
bullet-holes and scars on folks’ faces, Keith as production costs far outweighed income.
Seume’s trophy presentation speach, the Both issues are now available through Stu
really tall (read:GIANT) VW Dream Girl giving Betty’s ‘Back To ‘89 Nostalgia’ at www.
out the trophies and the snogs and sadly I backto89uknostalgia.com. Well worth a look,
remember several cars being broken into in whether you were there, or not. The fi rst time
the streets outside. Luckily my brand new 964 Outrage II turned a wheel in anger would be
Carrera wasn’t amongst them.
at the VW Spring Championships at Santa
I spent the Saturday night at a central Pod - next issue.
Birmingham hotel and had dinner as a guest The VolksWorld Show had a year out before
of URO Automotive boss Tony Cannon. I moving to the current venue in 1994.