Europe’s largest Beetle fan community has since yesterday been meeting for the eleventh time on Travemünde’s Baltic coast for the Beetle Sunshine Tour. “With more than 515 vehicles from 14 countries taking part, Brügmanngarten is bursting at the seams,” reports delighted organiser Gaby Kraft – a total success for this privately organised enthusiasts’ festival. Volkswagen has for many years been involved as a sponsor in the Beetle Sunshine Tour and is giving a European premiere this year to the Beetle ‘Pink’. The striking concept car caused quite a stir in April at the motor show in New York.
After yesterday’s successful start to the festival in perfect holiday mood with band ‘Urban Beach’, the cavalcade of over 515 Beetles set off today from the LUV Center in Lübeck. One of the special features of the Sunshine Tour is for participants and their cars to be all dressed up. Classic cars such as ‘Herbie’, the Beetlemania-Beetles, Minions-Beetle and Beach-Beetle, for instance, among the vehicles taking part, which spanned six decades.
As they arrived at the festival field, Sidney Hoffmann, known across Germany as the host of PS Profis, and German rapper MC Fitti gave a running commentary on the most stunning Beetles and their special features. Merriment was therefore guaranteed! “I’ve been coming to the Sunshine Tour for years, because I find the atmosphere among the fans here simply cool! I’ll definitely be coming again next year,” said Hoffmann.
Emilia Schüle, German actress and herself a Beetle driver, is at the festival for the first time and has been impressed above all by the creativity of the Beetle enthusiasts: “The amount of effort that people go to with their vehicles is incredible. Great people and a great atmosphere.”
The title of most beautiful ‘Fun in the Sun’ Beetle went to Christiane Ravona from Glinde with her red Beach-Beetle. Her prize: an exclusive weekend in the Autostadt, including overnight accommodation in Wolfsburg’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
This evening, tying in with Volkswagen’s new Head of Marketing, Robbie Williams, Germany’s most-booked Robbie Williams cover band, ‘Supreme RW’, will be performing live on the Sunshine Tour stage. In July 2011, lead singer Mario Nowack was the winner of the ‘My Name Is’ talent show on RTL 2 and was voted by viewers Germany’s best Robbie Williams tribute act.
Main sponsor Volkswagen is again at the festival this year with new show cars. In addition to the European premiere of the Beetle ‘Pink’ concept car, a Volkswagen R Beetle convertible with R-Line exterior features and Volkswagen Accessories’ Beetle Sport are on display.