Around a decade ago, Kevin Villa turned his back on air-cooled Volkswagens and got into the watercooled scene. We are glad to say he decided to come back, and what a comeback he has made!
There is very good chance you will recognise this ragtop Oval Window if you were among the thousands of visitors who made the annual pilgrimage to The VolksWorld Show in April this year. You couldn’t have missed it, as it was not only one of the cars you’d have seen on entering the show, it was one of the cars we selected to be part of the main display of the show, our stand.
As well as showcasing the car at our show, we wanted to bring this feature to you as quickly as possible in case you didn’t have the opportunity to see the car for real. Even if you did, I can assure you from personal experience that this is where this article will be of benefit. You see Kevin is French, and the only language he and I share is Volkswagen, so every question I asked had to be translated before being emailed, and likewise every answer I received back. And while online translators are helpful tools, they are far from perfect and you end up trying to decipher what is being said from confusing bunkum.
Paddling pool
What was fairly easy to work out is that Kevin lives in Reims, and this Export Deluxe Oval left the Wolfsburg factory in 1956, though Kevin did not come into the picture until the latter part of 2012, when he made that decision to get back into aircooled Volkswagens. During his damp sojourn in the VW paddling pool, Kevin transformed a Mk3 Golf into a lime green, low riding show car, then turned his attention toward a 1975 Mk1 Scirocco. I recommend you type ‘Kevin Villa VW Scirocco’ into your favourite search engine as you will be stunned by what you see.
Amazing as that car was, after completing it Kevin was boiling over. What he needed was a deep breath of cool, fresh air. And one day, his body clock alarm went off and there was no snooze button. He had to wake up. It was bonjour Beetle o’clock.
This story is from the September 2016 edition of Volks World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2016 edition of Volks World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SITTING COMFORTABLY?
Newton Commercial has been producing automotive interior trim products for the last 40 years, though the history behind this family-run firm goes back much further. Paul Knight finds out more...
Welcome to the mag
The rapid rise in value of our air-cooled VWs over the last few years is proving both good and bad news for owners.
Bus front step replacement
It’s probably one of the most common rust spots...
WOLFSBURG IN EGGENBURG
This one-day event in Austria is so good it attracts VWs from all over Europe
NICE ONE, SHERLOCK!
It’s fun investigating a car’s past – especially if the vehicle in question dates from the early fifties. That said, the Norwegian owner of this ’52 Beetle discovered more than he bargained for when he donned his deer-stalker
SUBTLY DOES IT (FOR US!)
So often, less is more. And we reckon that’s definitely the case with this oh so subtle ’66 Ghia
The Army era
It may have escaped your notice, but it was recently the 70th anniversary of Britain giving Volkswagen back to West Germany. The years of 1945 to 1949, when the British military ran Wolfsburg, were more crucial than many enthusiasts appreciate
PUTTIN' ON THE SHOW
When it comes down to rating the most desirable air-cooled VWs, I think it’s fair to say that a ’50s Karmann Cabriolet is gonna’ be pretty close to the top of the list. Now add some accessories, Fuchs and a decent stance and you’re talking about the stuff dreams are made of…
Car of the month
Car of the month
A TASTE OF DEUTSCHLAND
Inspired by a couple of renowned German VW events, the So-Cal Vintage Treffen attracted 200 of the oldest and most rare VWs stateside
