Experience the charm of vintage VW Buggies with the Wild Buggers Club
Wild Buggers Beach Buggy Club plans to host their annual run
Image: Supplied
If you've ever spotted a colourful beach buggy cruising along the West Coast, chances are it belongs to a group called the Wild Buggers Beach Buggy Club — a Cape Town-based club made up of people who love old Volkswagen Beetles, Buggies, Bajas and anything with a bit of vintage charm.
This month, weather permitting, they're inviting other vintage VW lovers to join them on their next group run — a scenic drive full of stops, photos and a traditional South African braai to end it off. If you've got a Beetle, Buggy or even just a half-finished project in your garage, you're welcome.
The club started in the early 1990s when founder Anton Kleyn bought his first buggy. 'I was hooked,' he said. 'A few years later, I decided to build one myself.' At the time, there were no buggy clubs in Cape Town, so in 1995 Anton started one.
It took a few years to get going, but by 1998 — with the help of fellow member Ron Metz — the club began to grow. Today, the Wild Buggers Beach Buggy Club has more than 70 members and over 30 working buggies on the road.
Andre Rohm's British Fairthorpe
Image: Supplied
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So, what do they actually do?
'We get together, we drive, we laugh, and we help each other fix things when they break,' said Anton. The group meets up on the second Sunday of every month for a drive, and they also take part in charity events and car shows. But mostly, it's about enjoying the ride and spending time with people who share the same passion.
The cars come in all shapes and sizes — from shiny, restored Beetles to rough-and-ready beach buggies. Some are rare and special, like Jacques La Grange's 1962 Lolette, the oldest buggy in the club, and Andre Rohm's British Fairthorpe, one of only four of its kind in South Africa. There's also Hugo Kogelenberg's 1971 T-Bug, another rare find that turns heads wherever it goes.
'It's not about perfection,' Anton said. 'If you love it, that's enough.'
Hugo Kogelenberg's 1971 T-Bug
Image: Supplied
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