VW Kombi classic centre opens

VW has put the call out for its boxy Kombi children to return to the vans' birthplace for rejuvenation.

Volkswagen has opened a huge restoration centre at Hannover - the home of the Kombi since the van's origin in 1950 - to cater for the cult-car's burgeoning demand for restoration work.

The company says it's serious about its heritage, changing tack from working on its own heritage cars to taking on private work. The classic centre, called Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Oldtimers, is now headed by a former chief executive and currently classic director of Audi, Bentley and Bugatti,  Franz-Josef Paefgen.

The Oldtimers department of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has 100 buses on show - all bought and restored by the centre - and this year moved into a new 7000sqm facility in Hannover, Germany.

It has 13 staff - from mechanics to a technology historian and an event planner - to restore and preserve the vehicles and its own paint shop. Volkswagen says that no matter whether a full or partial restoration is required, or a bus is simply to be made roadworthy, the "Bulli'' workshop team will undertake any assignment.

"Paint renovation or an inspection is also possible. The staff talk through all personal restoration wishes with the customer before preparing an individually tailored offer,'' the company says in a statement.

"The unique feature is that only here does the customer receive certificated ex-works restoration. In addition, for each customer the team of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Oldtimers provides comprehensive documentation of the restoration of the vehicle, in which every step is photographically documented and described in detail.

"Thus the work performed by the specialists from Hannover is recorded for posterity, and customers can leaf through their folder whenever they wish.'' Volkswagen Classic Parts, which continues to make components for it older models, supports the Oldtimers centre as a partner.

"Some of the replacement parts needed when working on oldtimers are even taken from Volkswagen's original stock,'' Volkswagen says. Volkswagens from all around Australia converge on South Australia this weekend for the annual National Bug-In. The event, first started in 1970, this year focuses on McLaren Vale, Aldinga Beach and Port Willunga.