Experience the charm of vintage VW Buggies with the Wild Buggers Club

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.

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.”

Their next event, called Tony & Sue’s Adventure, kicks off at Bothasig KFC at 9:30 AM with a 10 AM start. There’s even a dress code: floral shirts for the guys, flower crowns or necklaces for the ladies (if the weather plays along). The group will follow a scenic route, stopping for coffee, taking photos at an old petrol station, and driving through themed areas before ending with a bring-and-braai. There’s talk of ice-cream in Melkbos too.

“If it rains, we’ll just move it to the following Sunday,” Anton said.

In the end, it’s not really about the cars. It’s about the people — and keeping something old, fun and a little quirky alive.

“We’re just a group of friends with odd little cars,” Anton said with a smile. “And we’d love for more people to join us.”

For updates or more information, Mickey can be called on 082 4977 721or an email can be sent to anton@wildbuggers.co.za

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus