ME AND MY CAR/MOTORCYCLE #4

This month's winner of the Essential Buyer's Guide of her choice is Fiona Easterby from Southampton, UK. Fiona won a copy of VW Bus - The Essential Buyer's Guide for sending us these pictures of 'Pedro' the 1969 Baja Beetle. Please keep your entries coming in to prize@veloce.co.uk, and you never know, it could be YOU in this space next month!

Pedro is a 1969 Baja Beetle. I bought him in San Francisco at the beginning of 2009, shipped him home to the UK and, after months of preparation, and modifications, set out to drive overland to Australia.

My journey took me across Europe to an explosive minefield visit in Kosovo. Into Turkey where the biggest hazzard was avoiding amorous men, through Iran during the volitile period following the disputed elections. I wound up in hospital in Quetta, Pakistan – a stone's throw from the Afghan border and infamous Helmand province. We outwitted corrupt police in India, struggled over the Himalayas to Everest base camp in Tibet, suffered altitude sickness, happened upon a brothel in Lhasa, and wound up drinking beer with the prostitutes, helped amputees in Laos, visited floating markets in Thailand, drove through a major earthquake in Malayasia, and limped into Singapore, topping up the oil every 20 minutes.

I kept a diary of my travels and am currently writing a book of my journey. Next year I plan to drive the same car from Alaska to Argentina on the Pan-American highway. In the meantime Pedro continues as my daily driver ferrying me to work and shopping, as well as regularly being invited to supercar events and shows where he is a common sight amongst the Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

Fiona Easterby
www.worldrallies.com

Fiona selected VW Bus – The Essential Buyer’s Guide by Ken Cservenka & Richard Copping as her prize!

A unique volume dedicated to three generations of VW’s legendary Transporter. Meticulously researched with many model specific photographs reproduced to illustrate a genuinely informative text.

More info.


Do you have an unusual car/motorcycle with a story to tell?
We want to see it! Send photos & description to prize@veloce.co.uk
We will pick one a month, and any we feature will win an Essential Buyer's Guide (worth £9.99 / $19.95) of your choice.
Click below to browse the whole series.
.

BEETLE SOFA AT MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY

The official unveiling of the ‘The Major and the Beetle’ exhibition and new permanent exhibit, is celebrated with a historic Volkswagen car show and a ‘meet up’ for Volkswagen enthusiasts, all dedicated to the memory of Major Ivan Hirst, REME



The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and Volkswagen have a long history together from the end of the Second World War when the intervention of a young British Army officer changed the future of the fledgling giant of European motoring.



Sent by the Control Commission to ‘sit on’ the bombed remains of the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg in August 1945, the 29 year old Major Ivan Hirst REME and his team decided to restart production instead. Major Hirst then secured an order for 20,000 Beetles from the Military Government; meeting this order would take all the management and engineering skill he had.



Post-war Wolfsburg suffered shortages of food, skilled workers, housing and work materials. Major Ivan Hirst’s engineering and management skills together with his people skills, his open door policy and his will to succeed, turned the Volkswagen Factory around and ensured its survival.



Part of the exhibition is a video display and a unique ‘Beetle sofa’. Created from half a Beetle, it incorporates a seat and built-in audio facility so visitors can sit in a piece of history and learn about it simultaneously.





Get the app! VW Beetle - The Essential Buyer's Guide iPhone app

Your marque experts: Ken Cservenka & Richard Copping



Packed with good advice – from running costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation and the VW Beetle community, to will a Beetle fit in your garage and with your lifestyle? – the VW Beetle EBG is THE COMPLETE GUIDE to choosing, assessing and buying the VW Beetle of your dreams.

VW BEETLE EBG IPHONE APP DEMO VIDEO

Check out this quick run-through of the VW Beetle - The Essential Buyer's Guide iPhone app!



AVAILABLE NOW through the iTunes App Store. Price: £2.39 UK / $3.99 US.

A VW BEETLE EXPERT ON YOUR IPHONE!

Veloce Publishing releases its second iPhone App

VW Beetle - The Essential Buyer's Guide.
Available now from the App Store.
Priced at £2.49 UK / $3.99 USA.
Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.

Features
- STOP! Do not buy a Beetle without the help of this App.
- Great value for money!
- Unique buyer’s guide covering VW Beetles produced between 1945 and 2003.
- Many colour photographs taken especially for this guide.
- Informative text written by enthusiastic experts with the novice in mind.
- In-App videos which feature helpful voiceovers by your marque experts, Ken Cservenka and Richard Copping.
- Invaluable guide to avoiding pitfalls and getting real value for money.
- All aspects of buying a VW Beetle are covered.

Description
A unique App dedicated to VW Beetles built from 1945-2003, including Cabriolet, Standard and Deluxe, 1300 Beetle, 1500 Beetle, 1302S, 1303, and Mexican-built Beetles (from 1978). Meticulously researched with many model-specific photographs reproduced to illustrate genuinely informative advice.

Written by enthusiasts, the easily readable text is informative for the first time buyer, while still being of great value to those who have already owned a Beetle.

Packed with good advice – from running costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation and the VW Beetle community, to will a Beetle fit in your garage and with your lifestyle? – the VW Beetle Essential Buyer's Guide is THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE to choosing, assessing and buying the VW Beetle of your dreams. Buy the right Beetle, at the right price!

Use "VW Beetle" to find the App in the App store.

PHOTOS FROM DUBS AT THE BAY WEYMOUTH

The weather was kind on the first ever Dubs at the Bay held at Lodmoor Country Park in Weymouth, Dorset, yesterday. It made for a fantastic location with a turn out of some 2,500 people. Watch it grow over the coming years!

A total of £1029.75 was raised for the RNLI (Weymouth branch).

JAMES HALE INTERVIEW (PART 1)

Volkswagen Past, Present and Future

W12 Coupé, The Scirocco GT24 and The up!

A trio of Volkswagen concept vehicles are set to make their UK debut at The Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th July.



Check out Veloce VW manuals, past, present and future! click covers for more info..



How to Restore Volkswagen Beetle





NEW!VW T5 Van - How to Convert to Camper





Forthcoming...How to restore Volkswagen Bus – Enthusiast's Restoration Manual

Flame On! Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered VW Beetle.

Are you into Modded Beetles? Well check this corker by Ron Patrick and also James Hale's great book How To Modify Volkswagen Beetle Chassis.

Could be worse!

I'm sure you've probably seen this before, it's beautiful isn't it?

geneve.jpg (JPEG Image, 1280x960 pixels) - Scaled (68%)