I am pretty sure most South Africans has one or another Volkswagen advertisement that lingers in their minds. Be it Gugu Zulu with his little rally car or David Kramer and his red veldskoene and the Volksie bus. Which one is your favourite?
As the interest in motor sport runs deep in our veins we have visited a couple of motor museums in Europe in the past. This is no Porsche Museum or Alfa Romeo museum that spread over several floors and hosts any model that you can think of and more. This is rather an intimate display of loved Volkswagen products on the premises of the factory located at 130 Algoa Road in Uitenhage.
In the “Meet the Beetles” area you will meet Herbie from the movies who needs no introduction. Delilah which is in pristine condition with no plastic surgery done and less than 1 000 km on the clock. Delilah starts her history on 2 February 1972 at a price of R1 848. It appears she was part of a divorce settlement agreement however her first owner did not have a driver’s license so she was put in storage for 24 years until her owner passed away. Since she was put on the auction block in Petrusville (yes, I had to go and Google to find Petrusville) Delilah found her way to Uitenhage and are well looked after currently.
Then there is Matti, which is the youngest ever Beetle in South Africa. He was the very last Beetle that rolled off the production line on 18 January 1979. Being last on the production line Matti was fitted with all sorts of special accessories. This is just three of the personalities in “Meet the Beetles” range. Jeroen, fitted with sand tracks and jerry cans, also has an interesting story to tell from travels across the Sahara.
The rally Polo in the prominent green and blue colours also caught the eye. The South African Rally Championship scene was dominated by Volkswagen from 2005 starting with a winning streak by the legendary Jan Habig with navigator Douglas Judd and ended in 2010 with Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson as navigator. These are but a few impressive Volkswagen accomplishments.
But this is South Africa and there are many, many more interesting stories to be told out there. Beetles, Golfs and nowadays Polos tend to have interesting lives and legends to tell, especially if they had a student life once upon a time. We would like to hear your interesting stories so drop us a comment at the bottom of the post.
For the younger and inquisitive ones there is an interactive area where they can learn about pistons and crankshafts and try their skill on a rally car or observe a science experiment. I will say it is good value for money if you keep in mind that the entrance fee is only R5 for kids.
HOURS:
Weekday 08:30 to 16:00 and every first Saturday of the month from 10:00 to 13:00.
ENTRANCE FEE:
R10 per adult and scholars and pensioners R5. Remember to prebook your factory tour.
