Volkswagen Classic opens its vault of rare prototypes, vintage cars and racers to showcase six of the special vehicles at the Classic Days festival held Thursday through Sunday at Schloss Dyck in Jüchen, Germany.
Two of the seldom-seen prototypes include a pair of race cars, the 1993 Golf Mk3 A59 “Rallye,” making its public debut after a total restoration, and the twin-engine Golf Mk2 that raced at the 1987 Pikes Peak hill climb.
An elegant 1961 VW Type 3 convertible, a classic what-might-have-been prototype that was never produced despite its attractive appearance and production underpinnings, will appear at the festival. Just a few handcrafted examples were ever made.
The 1974 VW SP2, an exotic-looking coupe that was designed and built in Brazil but never exported to Europe or the U.S., should come as a surprise to many festival goers. Manufactured by Karmann Ghia do Brasil in São Paulo between 1972 and 1976, the rear-engine sports coupe was based on the undercarriage of the Volkswagen 1600 Type 3.
The limited-production 1973 Volkswagen Beetle GSR, of which just 3,500 were produced, represents a pinnacle of VW history, according to a Volkswagen news release. A second slick Beetle to appear at the festival, a 1980 convertible built for the US market, was recently restored and painted in Metallic Viper Green.
Besides the Volkswagen Classic cars, the automaker also will show its record-breaking I.D. R Pikes Peak electric race car that ran at the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June, driven by Romain Dumas, and set an all-time record of 7:57.148 minutes. The racer recently set another record, one for electric vehicles at the Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb.
The automotive festival at Schloss Dyck, a historic moated castle dating to the 11th Century, has been described as the German version of England’s Goodwood. Classic Days includes motorsport events, a concours d’elegance and car shows that attract 10s of thousands of visitors.
