If you are like just about everyone else on the planet, and break into a toothy grin every time you see a classic VW Kombi, get yourself down to Nasrec on Sunday, July 9, 2017.
From as early as 7 am you’ll see these symbols of peace, love and simply-having-a-good-time whistling into the show grounds at Nasrec, at The Classic Car Show, which runs all day at the showgrounds south west of Jo’burg. And we do mean “whistling”. Nothing sounds quite like an original-engine Kombi, except maybe a bunch of birds near a river bank at dusk.
“We are expecting a huge turn-out of Kombis on July 9,” says show organiser Paulo Calisto. “Every year more and more Kombis turn out. Classic, unrestored, rat look, customised, they all rock up at Nasrec.”
What is it that makes VMW Kombis so special? It’s probably all about dreaming. See one of these relics from the free-wheeling ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s and you immediately conjure up visions of slinging your sleeping bag in the back and heading out – for nowhere or everywhere, who cares, you are doing a road trip every time you pop down to the supermarket in one of these things.
VW Kombis – Microbuses if you prefer the American term, while in England they tend to be known as “Campers” – are amongst the most sought-after classic vehicles on the planet right now. A big factor in terms of popular infatuation with the VW Kombi is that the world’s most-watched TV chef Jamie Oliver bought one a few years back and touted it on his syndicated show. And if Jamie says Kombis are cool, well, who’d want to argue with that, right?
Since 1969 or so, VW vans and buses have had a serious rock n roll affinity, as well as an abiding attachment to the Hippie generation, culminating in the Woodstock Arts and Music Festival in upstate New York, some 48 years ago.
The most collectible Kombis today are the 21 and 23-window Microbuses, the ones with windows cut into the rook. A little-known reason for those windows in the roof, built that way by the factory in luxury-spec VW buses from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, is that they were a response to European tourists who needed to gaze upwards in mountainous areas, such as the alps.
These first-generation Kombis are known amongst aficionados as Splitties, because the front window or windscreen is divided, split into two sections. The Kombis were built this way from inception in Germany in 1950, until 1968, when the second generation Kombis were introduced.
Kombi production in South Africa only came into being in 1955. The first Beetlse to be assembled at the VWSA plant in Uitenhage rolled off the line in 1951.
The much-more second-gen sophisticated Kombis, which incidentally ride and perform much better than the Splitties, and are much more passenger-friendly in terms of space, are known as the Bay Window generation, or Bays for short. This refers to the curved windscreen up front, somewhat resembling a bay-window in an old-style farmhouse. These Bay Window models were introduced her in South Africa in 1968, first with drum front brakes. By 1971 disc front brakes were introduced and you can spot these models by the cooling holes in the steel wheels.
In South Africa, we had a second-fix of Split-window Kombis at our disposal, as VWSA introduced the so-called Fleetline Kombis in the 1970s as a sort of low-budget Kombi to sell alongside the Bay window (T2) model. This was a move that VWSA would follow with the Citi Golf and then the VW Polo Vivo, retaining the previous-generation model to sell as a lower-cost alternative to the new generation of vehicles.
Kombis come in all sorts of configurations – vans, buses with up to nine seats, pick-ups and the so-called “half-loafs” or double-cab versions with a shorter pick-up load area.
Very collectable, too, are the Westphalia camper Kombis. A few of these came to South Africa in original T1 split-window form, but most sold here were based on the T2 Bay Window models, and they came from the factory fully-equipped with a pop-up roof, fridge, bed, cupboards and all sorts of other camper-gear, depending on the spec ordered.
Engine-wise, the original Kombis came with lowly 1200 cc engine when they were introduced here in 1955. The engine then grew to 1500 cc in later Splitties, and all these first-gen models had the reduction-gear rear axle which increased rear ride-height and also gave a lower overall gearing to enable Kombis to (just about) make it up steep hills. Fast these vehicles are not!
The Bay Window models built from 1969 to 1979 came with 1600 cc, 1700 cc and 2 000 cc motors, all air-cooled. A number of enthusiasts today fit water-cooled Golf motors for extra power up hills, and while this makes the car much more usable, it will decrease its collectable value as some cutting of the bodywork is involved for radiator and cooling pipes, as well as the engine installation..
For those who own and drive them, the charm of a Kombi is in hopping, slouching over that bus-like steering wheel, and heading out on the open road. You won’t be going too fast, but every kilometre will be a relationship-building one. And you’ll also have to get used to all those people smiling and waving at you as they whizz past you in the fast lane.
*Apart from dozens of Kombis, The Classic Car Show on August 9 will be jam-packed with hot VW Beetles, hot rods, custom muscle cars, fins-and-flash 1950s American cruisers and a good sprinkling of Minis, Jaguars and other British classics.
Classic car owners can enter through Nasrec’s Gate Two from 7 am, while spectators can enter through Gate 5 from 9 am. The Prawn and Food Festival will offer prawns prepared by the famous Calisto restaurant group which has franchises all over Gauteng, as well as at Sun City
Entrance fee to the show is R80 per adult and R20 for children under 11-years-old. There will be a host of family-type entertainment on hand as well, including live music and helicopter rides at R150 for a short flip. There will be a beer garden and a mini-prawn festival at the show, and Halaal food will also be on sale.
For more information, visit www.classiccarshow.co.za. Or call Paul Calisto on 082 4977218.
