25 years of the VW California

[Martin]

Looks like VW are celerbrating 25 years of the VW California this year and over 100,000 have been built since 1998



http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news ... index.html

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2013/4/8/VW ... a-7713777/


Strange this has only been picked up by the media in the US ..


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[choplee]

that is strange as the US don't actively sell the cali and it seems that no UK dealerships have been told unless it's not a deal to them .. :?: :?: :?: :doh

 

[choplee]

maybe worth an e-mail to vw germany ...i know we may not get anything ,but someone may think it's cool that we will be having the biggest cali in the world in the year they celebrate 25 years of the cali ( one of their most expensive vw's )

or maybe vw uk ....??
i'm surprised that Rawlings guy hasn't picked this up or has he ... ...this could be massive for vw commercial and for a little input could be cheap PR and adverising for them .....
vw do wee wee me off

 

[David Eccles]

I just signed in to do a thread about this ands its already started!!!!
Have just had a Press release from VW about 25 years of California being celebrated at the Techno Classica show this week. On show they have some TE Calis, a T4 Freestyle Cali and a Beach.
what interested /intrigued me was the way its being sold / presented to the media as if VW designed the T3 Cali....(we had a discussion about this b4 somewhere)...and pioneered the whole thing
i just love the way history gets reinvented.....or shaped... but it always has I guess....

 

[David Eccles]

oh and PS having reread above posts..
I will be covering the mega Cali meet for both VW Camper and VWBus T4/5+
and VW UK know about it and will prob want to make something of it (and will have someone there)
I have also been in contact with VW Press in Germany and will be sending them pictures
yes 80 buses is a truly AWESOME assembly and it may get more maybe even 100 Calis with day visitors .... only time anywhere else more are together is at factory!!!!
BLIMEY!!!!!!

 

[James]

25 years of the California name as opposed to 25 years of the California might be a fairer if slightly picky way to look at

James

 

[David Eccles]

nice one James...thats spot on!
I'll get some press pics up of their display when they release them....

 

[choplee]

95 booked now David and more to come .....

 

[sidepod]

oh and PS having reread above posts..
I will be covering the mega Cali meet for both VW Camper and VWBus T4/5+
and VW UK know about it and will prob want to make something of it (and will have someone there)
I have also been in contact with VW Press in Germany and will be sending them pictures
yes 80 buses is a truly AWESOME assembly and it may get more maybe even 100 Calis with day visitors .... only time anywhere else more are together is at factory!!!!
BLIMEY!!!!!!

Excuse my ignorance but what event is this? Where and when?

S.

 

[choplee]

oh and PS having reread above posts..
I will be covering the mega Cali meet for both VW Camper and VWBus T4/5+
and VW UK know about it and will prob want to make something of it (and will have someone there)
I have also been in contact with VW Press in Germany and will be sending them pictures
yes 80 buses is a truly AWESOME assembly and it may get more maybe even 100 Calis with day visitors .... only time anywhere else more are together is at factory!!!!
BLIMEY!!!!!!

Excuse my ignorance but what event is this? Where and when?

S.

i think as david is busy he doesn't get on-line as much as he would like ,so i think he maybe referring to COTF ,as he does work for those magazines .

 

[choplee]

maybe a 25yr banner at the top of the forum would be cool for this year and on the cotf advert

 

[Andresz]

There is an article about the anniversary in a Polish news:

http://moto.pl/MotoPL/1,88389,13717444,VW_Transporter_California___to_juz_25_lat.html#BoxMotoTxt

you can click on an image, nice 25 pictures to see there.

 

[choplee]

Looks like its left upto us do sort out the UK 25 yrs party for the Cali then
Cali's on the farm

 

[HistoryBob]

Looks like its left upto us do sort out the UK 25 yrs party for the Cali then
Cali's on the farm

And perhaps a modification to the COTF Tee shirt?

 

[James]

Looks like its left upto us do sort out the UK 25 yrs party for the Cali then
Cali's on the farm

And perhaps a modification to the COTF Tee shirt?

I will be honest, 25 years of the Cali name was not me being flippant. It is just that, I don't wish to spoil anyone's fun or celebration but 25 years ago if you bough a VW California you were buying one of two different models converted by Westphalia. It is not really 25 years of the California. You are kind of reinventing history. You could own a T3 California and be welcome to COTF and of you owned a T3 Atlantic, a similar and esteentially the same vehicle, and not be welcome.

I just think we should be very careful.

James

 

[David Eccles]

I agree with James .... whilst its nice pr for VW to claim 25 Anniversary it is only the name and we should bear this in mind....
to me, whatever the badging, the T3 and T4 Calis are Westies through and through....whereas the name California will always be the VW T5 models....and I suspect most T3 / T4 Cali owners are proud to own a Westfalia camper and the heritage....

 

[James]

I agree with James .... whilst its nice pr for VW to claim 25 Anniversary it is only the name and we should bear this in mind....
to me, whatever the badging, the T3 and T4 Calis are Westies through and through....whereas the name California will always be the VW T5 models....and I suspect most T3 / T4 Cali owners are proud to own a Westfalia camper and the heritage....

Absolutely David I totally agree.

James

 

[choplee]

I was totally with you guys to be honest cali's are T5's and t25,t4's are westy's with a Cali name ...one to maybe discuss more do we promote 25 yrs of a name California or a Cali model of a T5 and not the 25yrs ...???????

 

[James]

Lee

It's the same for Ford owners is a Consul Capri a Ford Capri lol

Would they celebrate 40 however many years of the Capri or the Capri name.

Lol

James

 

[choplee]

They would celebrate lol

 

[James]

They would celebrate lol

I love Capri's - give me a well cared for Mk1 any day.It's not 25 years of VW California i.e. VW producing the California - it's about identity - it might seem snob like but the VW T5 is a unique vehicle and it's identity is important as it will be in years to come when it will become collectable. Just as the identity the Wetsys is equally important, the heritage, the different models, the association with VW they are more than just a 'VW California'.

If you start blurring the identity of vehicles I think you lose something and I think that's a shame. But if VW want to celebrate that and people here do, that's fine, I'm just expressing my thoughts lol.

The forum presents the California as 'one' van, one camper if you like and that in way can cause problems unintentional as they are.

Not that I am against a celebration and a little drinky

James

 

[choplee]

if VW themselves didn't do a press release about them celibrating 25 yrs of the cali name then i wouldn't have pushed the thought of it aside and forgot about it , as i'm the first to pipe up and say my bit about whats a "cali" and what isn't ......

This can be only good for the club to come closer to VW themselves and when they think about cali club's it will make us stand out a little more to them .....you get my drift

 

[James]

if VW themselves didn't do a press release about them celibrating 25 yrs of the cali name then i wouldn't have pushed the thought of it aside and forgot about it , as i'm the first to pipe up and say my bit about whats a "cali" and what isn't ......

This can be only good for the club to come closer to VW themselves and when they think about cali club's it will make us stand out a little more to them .....you get my drift

I agree ---- 25 years of the 'California name'.

 

[David Eccles]

seconded James!
maybe an added incentive for VW recognise the event if we recognise and flag up they are celebrating 25 years of the name....anniversaries always make good pr copy
and the fact we (well you guys doing all the hard work) have invited T3 and T4 calis along sits with their Essen exhibition
think I'll use that

 

[David Eccles]

25 years of the VW California PICTURE

Thought you might like to see this pic of part of the VW exhibition 25 Years of California at Techno Classica last weekend...no we did not get to see it in person :cry:
The real Cali is not in shot! :lol:
so here is a very cool 25 year press image as well get your Calki fix