Travemünde on the Baltic coast saw the start of the largest independent Volkswagen Beetle fan festival (for Beetles of all generations): the Beetle Sunshine Tour. More than 470 vehicles kitted out in original styles joined the start of the anniversary tour. The festival’s musical highlight is being provided by ‘Voice of Germany’ star Ole ‘Soul’ Feddersen, performing as a duo with Nathalie Dorra a song specially composed for the Sunshine Tour. Also in attendance: PS pro Sidney Hoffman (TV presenter) with girlfriend Leonie, who was crowned ‘Miss Tuning’ last year.
Three Beetle generations from six decades are represented at the anniversary tour along the Travemünde shoreline. The meet is bursting at the seams and so for the first time ever the tour’s original starting point was moved to Lübeck Airport. From there the convoy travelled to Brügmanngarten in Travemünde. In addition to European and Chinese participants, there were for the first time also participants from Mexico and Korea.
A live musical backdrop is being provided over the weekend by the Urban Beach Band, Projekt Caramba and DJ, plus Ole Feddersen and band.
One of the special features of the Beetle Sunshine Tour is for participants and their cars to be all dressed up. Whether it be an Angel and Devil-, 4-Cylinder-, Rock`n`Roll-, Wedding- or Sailboat-Beetle, what counts are the most entertaining and creative ideas and implementations. This years´ title ‘Most Beautiful Beach Beetle’ goes to Erick Sigel, a carbody- and vehicle builder, who remodeled his 2005 Beetle in over 1000 working hours to a high class pick-up with a cargo bed made out of teakwood. Even his dog has a special place on the cargo bed made out of the same leather as the interior seats. The holiday flat is already included: it´s an Eriba-trailer whose newly painted and redesigned interior excited the other fans as well and made Erick Sigel a worthy winner of the prize.
Promoter Gabriele Kraft is thrilled by the participants’ creativity: “Every year we see new ideas at Travemünde.”
As a long-established partner of the event, Volkswagen too is again involved this year with some automotive gems, including one crowd puller delivering over 560 PS: the Beetle GRC from the US RallyCross motorsport series accelerates to 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds and celebrates its racing debut in September in Los Angeles. Also on view are the Beetle Dune, the prototype of a Cross version of the Beetle.
Volkswagen R is showcasing the 210 PS Beetle Cabriolet¹ with an R-Line finish to exterior and interior. Highlights of this package include the striking bumpers in ‘R’ styling with black grained air intakes at the front and diffuser at the rear, sports seats in the characteristic ‘Kyalami’ design or ‘Vienna’ leather and the sports steering wheel and decorative inlays in ‘Dark Vanadium’.
Involved for the first time is Volkswagen Accessories, who are offering a varied range for sale in their Lifestyle Shop covering all aspects of the Beetle. The team is giving a special prize to Hans-Jürgen Schulz, the Beetle fan who participated in all of the ten past Sunshinetours. The winner can look forward to a chic leather jacket from the Beetle Collection.
