The First Annual Aircoolness Help and Shine took place last weekend to help raise money for the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation. It was a great way to spend the afternoon while raising money for a good cause. Hit the jump to see all the pics and a little bit of VW biased commentary.
I have to place a disclaimer right at the top of this article, I own a ’65 Beetle. I know that makes me a little biased but I think everyone has some connection to the old aircooled VWs. Whether it’s spending time working on one, riding in one as a kid or cursing because you’re stuck behind one on a narrow mountain road, literally everybody has a story about an aircooled VW.
It’s no surprise really, with over 21 million Beetles built since World War II and more than 3 million Type 2 vans, that aircooled VWs have such a dedicated following and impact on car culture, even in the horsepower obsessed U.S.
One of the hallmarks of most VW shows I’ve been to is the variety. From clean classic rides, like the ’56 Oval below, to Bajas, Vans, “upscale” Type 3’s and things that can’t really be categorized there is guaranteed to be something for just about everyone at the typical VW show.
This amazing oval window simply gets it right! It’s clean, has Porsche alloys and the super clean interior looks factory even with a 150mph speedo. It was by far my favorite of the Aircoolness Help and Shine 2013.
Sometimes it’s not just about clean looks. Turbos are a popular add on for modern cars and people have be sticking them on VWs for at least the last 20 years. I don’t know what kind of power this particular car makes but when you consider a Beetle weighs less than 2000lbs it doesn’t take that much boost to push one down the track at a pretty decent pace.
Far less common than Beetles, Notchbacks are a relatively rare sight. Sharing a Type 3 chassis with a handful of other models the Notchback never really caught on, perhaps because they didn’t “look” like a VW in the eyes of the consumer.
That is it for the first part of our coverage of the Aircoolness Help and Shine 2013. I’d like to thank the Old Slammers of Reno for putting on such a great event and raising money for a good cause: The Norther Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation.
We’ll have more coverage tomorrow so be ready for turbo Ghias, Rat Rod Beetles and a couple cars that might not be VWs.
