Hot VWs Magazine December 2023 is Out!

Hot VWs Magazine December 2023

Get Yours at hotVWs online store!

On the cover: On the cover: Gary Stell Jr.’s ‘52 Split, built by Buddy Hale. (Photo: Stephan Szantai)

2023 Holiday Gift Guide
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you “be of good cheer”… The 2023 Holiday Season is around the corner! Are you looking for a holiday gift? Let us assist you! Here is our selection of a variety of VW-related, fun gift items for our Vee-Dub friends and their family!

TURMOIL!
Since hotVWs magazine’s inception in 1967, very few cars featured in our pages have reached the level of sophistication and detail of Gary Stell Jr.’s ’52 Split. Under its subtle appearance hides 2,500 custom-made components. Not surprisingly, the Type One Restorations-built ’52 sedan went on to win some of the most prestigious awards in the rod and custom world.

SO CAL VW WEEK 1: OCTO
During the first three weekends of June 2023, Southern California became once again a Volkswagen wonderland. Can you imagine nine major VW shows and gatherings lined up over three weekends? And each event saw an impressive turnout. The So Cal VW Week is more than a “VW week” – it’s a half-month-long Volkswagen marathon.

SO CAL VW WEEK 3-4: BLACKSTAR PRADO     
The second week of the So Cal VW Week became “VW heaven”, so to speak. The venue used since 2022 welcomed 800 VWs in the campground, while 400 showed up for Sunday’s show. VTO did it again – the $20,000 profit from the weekend was donated to the Ronald McDonald House.

SO CAL VW WEEK 5: DKP CRUISE NIGHT
After the excitement of the El Prado Show, the following weekend revolved around the 47th annual Bug-In, complemented with two other meets on Friday and Saturday.  

SO CAL VW WEEK 2: RVA VW VW D’ELEGANCE
Better known for its surf swells and scenic beach, the city of Huntington Beach offers a rather surprising vicinity with more than a hint of… a German village. For a day, it plays hosts to one of the many annual So-Cal VW events taking place in June, promoted by the renowned Rare Vintage Air club – a stellar get-together.

EAST MEETS WEST
Every Volkswagen enthusiast has a unique story about his or her VW journey, taking singular paths to become involved in the scene. Some of us drove Volkswagens when we were teenagers or in our 20s, then took a break for decades, only to return to the VW hobby later on. Here is the story of one such hardcore enthusiast from the other side of the Pacific Ocean – Nagoya, Japan.

MADERA SPRING FLING #28
Car show on Sunday, two nights of camping, and a swap meet on lush green lawns near trees – the 28th Annual Madera VW Spring Fling is Central California’s largest and most popular VW event, filled with exciting activities.

BRILLIANT BLUE
After owning the car for over 10 years, Utah’s Joe McRae, a hotVWs magazine veteran, decided it was time to give this Porsche 356 Replica the attention it deserved. Changing this Speedster from “run of the mill red” to “Brilliant Blue”!

BUGGY WONDER YEARS
The Meyers name needs no introduction to the buggy fans – or “buggistas” as they called them in the 1960s. Besides its world-famous Manx buggy, the company produced the lesser-known Tow’d and its Tow’dster offshoot. We found a handful of color slides highlighting this Meyers series in an archival box. And they look fantastic.

And More!