2026 VW Nationals – Bugs, Buses and more

Volkswagen Nationals is an annual event for all things with the VW badge attached. Andrew Sluys has been attending for years, and reports on what has become a pilgrimage for his family.  

Everyone in New Zealand seems to have some sort of connection to a classic Volkswagen. Whether it be a fond childhood memory, or a not-so-fond re-collection of a troublesome aircooled engine, it’s something we almost all share. 

Given this sentiment, it’s little surprise that the classic Volkswagen community in New Zealand is one of the most active, coming together multiple times per year to celebrate their machines. Of these events, none is bigger than the ationals, held at Easter, with a different club hosting the event each year. Think of it like Kiwi Coachella for bugs, buses, and all things VW. 

Run entirely by volunteers, this event has been going strong for more than 33 years. While the official website only keeps records back to 2011, I have memories of attending at least a decade earlier. 

Personally, I have quite a connection with the event as my family is very involved with the Waikato Volkswagen club. This meant each Easter, we’d all load up in our two Beetles, (plus the campervan for modern comforts) and trek around the country to meet up with like-minded dubbers. Where most people associate the long weekend with chocolate and bunnies, in my mind Easter meant cleaning cars and hoping the immobilizer in my mum’s Beetle wouldn’t leave us stranded. 

A Kiwiana Affair

For 2026, the event was hosted by the Auckland Club, in association with the Waikato Club. In total, 180 Volkswagens were in attendance, with over 300 dub-heads registering for the event. As usual, they came from far and wide, with Darren and Sharon Robbie from Transport World in Invercargill making the furthest trek up country. 

The Lake Karapiro Domain served as home base for the weekend, with attendees either camping in their Kombis, or finding more (dare I say) comfortable accommodation in a tent. 

As is the case every year, Saturday’s Show ‘n Shine is the centrepiece of the event, where all Volkswagens old or new, clean or patina’d are welcome to be displayed. This year, it was held on the Cambridge Village Green, which served up stunning weather for the event. 

While the event is limited to Volkswagens (plus a couple of classic Porsches and an Audi), I am always astounded by the diversity on display at these events. Obviously Volkswagen is a mainstream manufacturer that produces a variety of vehicles, but it isn’t until you get them all in one place that you can understand the scope of it all. 

The split-screen Kombis are always the crowd-pleasers, and there was no shortage of them this year. The People’s Choice Award was won by the meticulously restored ‘DUBBN’, which was complete with a classic camping display. The red pickup, plus the Petal Passion bus on Porsche 996 wheels were also highlights of the bunch. 

The bay window buses were also out in force. I was surprised to see not one, but two full campervan conversions here, each as cute as the next. The lowered Westfalia and the green panel van were my picks here.

As usual, the show seemed to be dominated by classic Beetles, and I was gutted I wasn’t able to get mine out to join them. 

From immaculately restored split classics in showroom-fresh condition, to heavily modified performance machines, this section seemed to have it all. I’m not sure if it’s still a lack of pre-frontal cortex development on my part or not, but I have always had a soft spot for a slammed bug. 

Continuing that theme, while it was probably viewed as sacrilegious by the purists in attendance, I was fascinated by the ‘SIK BUG’ with its wide stance and front engine layout. Not only had someone dropped an engine beneath the bonnet of this bug, but it looked to be a Toyota BEAMS engine from an Altezza. Not only would this engine more than quadruple the power output of the standard boxer, but I can imagine it would be a wild ride on Kiwi roads. 

And though not technically a Beetle, I also feel the need to shine a spotlight on the ‘SPDBGY’ beach buggy. Rod is known for putting together some of New Zealand coolest Volkswagens, and his latest creation is no exception. From the chrome wheels, to the tyre lettering, and the colour scheme that matches his Kombi, I don’t think beach buggies get any cooler than this. 

With the Beetle and Kombis done, we can get to the weird and wonderful. This section of the show consists of Karmann Ghias, Type 3s, and there was even a ‘Thing’ in attendance. Often overlooked in the face of the more traditional classics, these machines not only look cool, but represent just how varied Volkswagen’s portfolio was back in the day. 

As for modern metal, there were plenty of water-cooled vehicles also on display. There were a number of Golfs, early Transporters, and modern Beetles. Best in Show was awarded to a tastefully modified Mk2 GTI, which was a rolling time capsule from the 1990s, BBS wheels and all. 

A taste of the future was also included with Volkswagen New Zealand’s all-electric ID.buzz in attendance. Despite EVs sounding out of place at an event like this, the quirky, retro styling of this van left it looking at home among the Kombis.

A Golf Celebration

If you weren’t aware, the Golf is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, and Volkswagen New Zealand kicked off the celebrations with a special display at the event. 

Driven by none other than Stirling Moss and Denny Hulme in the 1979 Benson & Hedges 500 at Pukekohe, this Mk1 GTI is a priceless piece of motorsport history. It was recently restored to the exact condition it raced in, and even features an infamously crooked Shell sticker.

This icon was paired with a modern Golf GTI which was wearing the same period-correct Casio livery. 

Looking ahead

If you want to get involved in the Volkswagen Nationals and live in the deep south, I have good news; the 2027 nationals will be hosted by Transport World in Invercargill. 

You can count on a large majority of the vehicles in attendance this year making the trek down to the event, and I encourage anyone with any sort of interest in classic cars to check it out. 

Volkswagen’s History in New Zealand

Given Volkswagen’s long history in New Zealand, it’s little surprise how enthusiastic us Kiwis are about the classic models. 

The brand’s first local assembly plant, VW Motors opened its doors in 1953. The following year, it became the best-selling non-British brand in the country. While it wasn’t producing solely Volkswagens, the Otahuhu plant built over 120,000 vehicles in total before it was shut down in 1986. 

Colin Giltrap formed European Motor Distributors in 1977, and local assembly continued for another decade or so. 

Volkswagen New Zealand was formed as part of the Giltrap family of brands, where it continues to sell and service the brand on Kiwi shores.