VW Bus Festival 2023: Bulli drivers celebrated in the Show & Shine competition
The Show & Shine competition was one of the automotive highlights of the VW Bus Festival 2023 in Hanover (23 to 25 June), which was attended by around 80,000 visitors and featured music acts such as “Die Fantastischen Vier”. The owners of the 6,000 participating VW buses competed in 16 categories – including “Most Original Bulli”, “Longest Distance Travelled”, “Most Beautiful Love Story” or “Best Tattoo”. A total of 177 participants from Europe, the US and New Zealand ventured into the spotlight of this competition. These are the Show & Shine winners:
Life’s Work: Michael Steinke was awarded a special prize for his “Life’s Work”. He is rightly regarded as an all-round expert in the Bulli scene, having bought his first VW bus in 1969. For a long time, Michael Steinke was Chairman of BulliKartei – the association for T1 fans. He still runs the Westfalia Register today and helps people all over the world with the “Bullis Bring Joy” campaign.
Best Vehicle Motto: Rune Andersen from Norway won the award for the best vehicle motto with his T6 in the style of the “Deutsche Post” and genuine package equipment. Andersen: “I really enjoy meeting German tourists in Norway!”
Best Tattoo: For many fans, Bulli love is more than skin deep. This is also true of Larry Cavalli. The Swiss was a clear winner in the “Best Tattoo” category with a T2b on his arm. This prize was not awarded by the Show & Shine jury, but by the Festival visitors. A special compliment from the fans!
Dressed Like Your Van: Michael Seiner – fan of Le Mans, the T3 and Porsche – perfectly matched his 1988 T3 with his clothing and a special helmet bag. A 2.1-litre WBX as a turbo conversion with 163 PS creates a Porsche feeling on board the T3. He took 1st place in the “Dressed Like Your Van” category.
I’m As Old As My Bulli: Willi Kreutzer-Sommerauer was born on 18 June 1989 – his T3 Caravelle (with retrofitted pop-up roof) was registered for the first time three days before. The winner in the “I’m As Old As My Bulli” category: “We’ve already travelled to more than ten countries together – without any breakdowns.”
Most Original T1 Bulli: Claus Missing won the “Most Original T1 Bulli” category with his 1966 T1. The VW bus is equipped with the rare Dormobile pop top roof. Missing says: “My T1 has had no welding work done on it at all, is completely in the original paint finish and has original curtains and seat covers. That is as original as it gets.”
Most Original T2 Bulli: Niels Wiemann secured first place in the “Most Original T2 Bulli” category with his unrestored T2b auxiliary ambulance. The VW bus is completely original – from the DRK lettering and the “official number” to equipment such as the blue light, two-way radio and two stretchers.
Most Original T3 Bulli: Christian Puls’ family ordered this T3 in July 1979 for their food retail business. Since then, the VW bus has never been deregistered and is still in the possession of the first owner today. Christian Puls won the “Most Original T3 Bulli” category with his T3 because it looks like it has just left the factory.
Most Original T4 Bulli: Thomas Kertess was a clear winner in the “Most Original T4 Bulli” category with his 20-year-old T4 California Freestyle. In this top condition, it could also be part of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles classic vehicles collection. Like many fans, Kertess also attended the VW Bus Festival in 2007.
Longest Ownership: Winfried Wolfrum has been able to do what only a few drivers can achieve: drive the same vehicle for almost forty years: a T3 Westfalia Joker that he bought in 1984. He took first place in the “Longest Ownership” category.
Most Beautiful Love Story: Chris Redford from England won the category “Most Beautiful Love Story”. As a 17-year-old, he met his first girlfriend when he bought his first car – a Beetle. She was also a Volkswagen fan but she moved away one year later, and that was the end of the relationship. Seven years later, they met again.
Redford: “She fell in love with me and my 1978 VW bus.” Everything happened very quickly after that: wedding, honeymoon in Hanover and Wolfsburg, birth of their daughter. Her first names are Victoria Willow – VW. Today, the family drives a T4.
Best Vehicle/Trailer Combination: Alexander Wischnewski won the award for the “Best Vehicle/Trailer Combination” with his “T4 trio”. In 2017, Wischnewski built his own trailer from two Bullis. So when he travels, there are three VW buses on the road.
Quirkiest Conversion: Holger Habighorst impressed the jury in the “Quirkiest Conversion” category with his T6 double cab. All the panelling at the rear is made of carbon fibre, while the load bed is made of back-lit safety glass. The seats come from the Golf GTI VII. And it goes without saying that the double-cab vehicle is equipped with 20-inch wheel rims.
Longest Distance Driven: Prof. Dr Claudio Midolo set off for the Festival with his 1978 T2 from Catania in Sicily, taking first place in the “Longest Distance Driven” category.
Longest Distance Travelled: Last but not least – Dave Finnie. This New Zealander was the undisputed winner of the “Longest Distance Travelled” category. With only a quick stopover, the 18,400-kilometre trip (as the crow flies) from Auckland to Germany can be done in two days. The Kiwi was also at the VW Bus Festival back in 2007. In 2023, he is now travelling through the country with a T3 camper van borrowed from friends. Dave Finnie: “I spent most of my time visiting friends from the VW Bus community. Meeting them all at the Festival in Hanover was my personal highlight. We are like a family.” After the VW Bus Festival, he briefly visited the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles plant in Hanover. There, he also drove an electric vehicle for the first time: the ID. Buzz. His comment was: “Wow! It drives so smoothly!”
Best Family History: Frank Marckwardt’s “Best Family History” shows that a VW bus can overcome all boundaries. In brief: his mother travelled from West to East Germany in 1961, but the borders closed overnight and she was stranded in the GDR. From then on, she only saw her parents from Rheda-Wiedenbrück when they came to the east from West Germany with their T2 “Berlin” (Westfalia). The Wall fell in 1988. From being son and grandson, Frank Marckwardt became a father himself and bought a T2 “Berlin” as a tribute to his grandparents. Since then, he has crossed Europe with his son and wife in the T2 and made sure to visit some of the destinations that his grandparents used to travel to with their T2. Unlimited freedom.
