170km Coast to Winelands Epic Run: The Ultimate Air-Cooled VW Club Adventure

There is an old saying in the vintage car community that classic vehicles belong in a dry garage the second a grey cloud rolls in. Clearly, whoever invented that saying never spent a Sunday morning with the Wild Buggers. When you are part of an air-cooled VW club, a bit of winter weather isn’t a red light—it is an invitation to an adventure. On a wet Sunday, 14 June, our convoy proved once and for all that we are definitely Wild Buggers and not Mild Buggers, tackling a massive 170 km regional route that took us from the forest to the coast and all the way back into the historic winelands.

This specific Western Cape club run carried an extra bit of pride because it was entirely organized and hosted by our own crew members: Neil, Sherene, and Maddox Doveton. It was their very first time planning a full run for the club, and they absolutely nailed it, mapping out unique stops, coordinating heavy logistics, and setting up a brilliant driving route designed for the whole family.

Tech Talk and Top-Tier Gees: How Our Air-Cooled VW Club Beat the Cape Winter Rain

The day kicked off at 09:00 under the dripping trees at Foresters Arms in Newlands. The parking lot quickly transformed into a living, breathing museum of old school VW mechanics. Hoods were popped, tailpipes were admired, and the tech talk immediately went into overdrive. Leon Visser pulled out his phone to show an eager huddle his latest project builds and rare, tracked-down vintage spare parts. Nearby, Dan Laarman was showing off Rango, his pristine, metallic green Lolette beach buggy powered by a beautiful 1600cc engine with a custom orange fan shroud matching his name decals.

Not far away stood Harvey Metcalf’s awesome white and blue Beamish buggy sporting a reliable 1600cc motor and a classic cream canvas canopy. For those preferring a roof, the options were stunning. Andre and Jo-ann Gericke arrived in a brilliant 1975 classic white Beetle featuring a proper retro black louvre on the rear window. Viv Reyneke turned serious heads with his flawless, metallic gunmetal grey 1600 Beetle, showcasing twin chrome tailpipes and a vintage Consolida Auto Club badge from Oranjemund on the front bumper.

The crown gathered thick when Neil Doveton opened up the rear lid of his famous Herbie-styled classic Beetle, bearing the iconic number 53 livery, for a collective nod of approval from the club enthusiasts. Even Mickey’s legendary green 1974 1600 Baja Bug, known affectionately as Dark Side, looked completely wicked, complete with a travel coffee mug balanced perfectly on the front fender. An honorary friend of the club even joined the lineup on a classic white vintage Vespa scooter, proving that if it is retro and cool, it fits right into the Wild Buggers family.

Of course, driving a classic VW Beetle or custom buggy means being prepared for anything. Bertus Visser, who suffered a broken ignition coil the literal day before the run, showed up with a mini-warehouse of about eight spare coils packed tightly next to his emergency warning triangle, earning a massive round of laughs and respect from the crew.

Ghost Hunting at Groot Constantia

After a quick route briefing, the pack fired up its engines, creating a beautiful symphony of flat-four rumbles. We rolled out sharp at 09:30, traveling via Tokai Road, the M3, and the N2. Naturally, the sky opened up into a sudden Cape winter downpour, but a little bit of water-cooling from above wasn’t about to damp our spirits.

We splashed through the rain and made it to our first official pit stop: the grand white gates of Groot Constantia, South Africa’s oldest wine estate. The security team looked properly stunned as our noisy, colorful convoy rolled into the historic grounds. After grabbing a morning coffee on arrival, we assembled for a private 45-minute guided tour. Neil and Sherene’s young son, Maddox, completely stole the show by stepping up as our official junior tour leader. Maddox gave the adults a brilliant rundown on all the spooky folklore surrounding Simon van der Stel’s old museum house.

We temporarily traded our steering wheels for flashlights and descended into the ancient, damp underground cellars. Watching a bunch of rugged buggy drivers patiently queueing to duck through tiny, low-arched historic wooden doors was absolute comedy. We walked past dusty wine barrels looking for the resident spooks, particularly a mysterious phantom woman rumored to sit on an ornate chair under the restaurant sign. We didn’t spot any phantoms, but the history was top-class.

Coastal Cruising to Simon’s Town

Leaving the ghosts firmly in our rearview mirrors, the fleet piled back into their rides and targeted Simon’s Town. As we hit the coastal asphalt, the rain cleared up just in time, and the winter sun broke through the clouds. The convoy looked absolutely magnificent in full formation. Looking down the road, Ras and Clare Abrahams held down the tarmac in their stunning blue and white VW Kombi, offering a view of old-school luxury with plenty of dry packing space while the open buggies and Beetles lined up perfectly behind them.

We rolled into the naval docks for a quick break before heading into our second major milestone: the Assegaai Submarine Museum. Seeing the entire length of the SAS Assegaai, a massive Daphne-class submarine (hull number S99), sitting completely out of the water on heavy blue support blocks was jaw-dropping.

Our veteran naval guide packed the Wild Buggers crew tightly inside the narrow mess deck table, sharing what life was actually like deep beneath the ocean surface. We thought the cabin of a beach buggy was tight, but this redefined cramped quarters! We explored the forward torpedo room, where crew bunks were literally stacked right between massive steel torpedo tubes, and stared in awe at the control room’s wall of mechanical dials, valves, and passive tracking sonar consoles. The highlight came when our guide challenged three buggers to simulate surfacing the submarine. They nailed the controls, and the guide handed them small yellow rubber ducks wearing green caps, proudly declaring they officially had their ducks in a row.

Technical Grit: Braving the Scarborough Downpour in a Classic Beach Buggy

The sunny skies didn’t last long. As we left the naval docks and entered the Cape Point Loop, the weather gods decided to give our technical grit a proper final exam. The heavens officially opened over Scarborough and Misty Cliffs, bringing a massive downpour and slick mountain passes.

Through rain-splattered windscreens, the view was unforgettable. Our classic light blue Beetle and a vintage white Beetle led the charge up the wet, winding curves. Right behind them, Heinrich Thiart in his gorgeous, glossy turquoise blue classic 1600 Beetle handled the slick curves like an absolute champ, kicking up a proper rooster tail of water spray under a lush green canopy of trees. Our open-top buggy drivers braved the freezing rain and sideways winds like absolute troopers, catching a moody view of the iconic Slangkop Lighthouse standing tall against the crashing Atlantic rollers. Wipers were flying, water was splashing, but the air-cooled VW club gees was running at an all-time high.

Burgers, Warmth, and Lifelong Friendships at False Bay RFC

After navigating our way over the historic curves of Ou Kaapse Weg, the convoy safely reached its final destination: the False Bay RFC Clubhouse at the Constantia Rugby Club. Nobody was in a rush to run inside. The crew spent ages standing around in the wet driveway, sharing a single black umbrella, laughing about how wet everyone got, and admiring Mickey’s custom club patch. Nolan Swanepoel and his wife huddled close for a quick photo in the drizzle, showing everyone exactly what club commitment looks like.

Once inside, the festive club atmosphere officially took over the long wooden banquet tables. The kitchen absolutely delivered the goods, serving up massive, golden-brown crispy chicken burgers to satisfy real, road-induced hunger. The rest of the afternoon was spent exactly the way a successful club run should end—sharing cold drinks, checking out photos on phones, and laughing up a storm. Out on the mountain passes, it is all about focusing on the road, but these lunch stops are where the true, lifelong friendships of our classic air-cooled community are built. One club. One crew. One hell of a day out.

View the Gallery: Words can only do so much justice to a wild day out in the Cape rain! Head over to our official Coast to Winelands Photo Album Page to check out the first live batches of action shots, custom engine bays, and rain-soaked smiles.

Join the Ultimate Air-Cooled Convoy!

Fell in love with the vintage lines, custom setups, and the unmatched camaraderie of our crew? It doesn’t matter if you pilot a rugged beach buggy, a polished classic VW Beetle, an old school VW Kombi, or a custom build—the Wild Buggers family always has space for passionate enthusiasts. Our convoy is all about family fun, laid-back culture, and exploring the best scenic driving routes the region has to offer.

Don’t let the next grid lineup leave you behind. Check out our upcoming routes, lock in your headcount for our upcoming lunch stops, and secure your spot for our next event right now!