by Bradley S. Pines
DeutscheMarquesAG.com
William Chapple of Marshall, a Michigan Vintage Volkswagen member, took home the Best in Show Volkswagen crystal trophy with his classic 1968 Karmann Ghia convertible during the DeutscheMarques German auto event. The green beauty has only 101,000 miles on its odometer and features sparkling chrome and a tan interior.
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| William Chapple holds his Best in Show Volkswagen crystal trophy with his 1968 Karmann Ghia. |
A large gathering of Volkswagen owners found shelter from the hot summer sun under the shade of trees at the Gilmore Car Museum. Both classic air-cooled and modern front-wheel-drive VWs were to be found, lined up alongside The Oval.
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| Local VW club members kept cool by seeking a shady spot on The Oval at the Gilmore Car Museum. |
Greg Calderon of Kalamazoo was the Best Daily Driver award winner, with his 2003 20th Anniversary GTI. The bright blue car has aftermarket coilovers, a hybrid F23 turbo and xenon headlights.
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| Greg Calderon won Best Daily Driver Volkswagen with his bright blue GTI. |
The Cleanest Concours Volkswagen award winner, Jim Hanson of Battle Creek has a 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle convertible with fewer than 73K.
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| Jim Hanson's 1972 Super Beetle droptop was named Cleanest Concours Volkswagon. |
As clean and pretty as that orange beauty was, the Best Special Feature Volkswagen winner, Bran Hartman of Battle Creek’s 1967 Volkswagen Beetle looked like a true survivor. Hartman is a member of The Good Volks.
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| This survivor is Bran Hartman's 1967 Beetle. |
The Best Volkswagen of the 21st Century was Troy Cox’s 2008 Volkswagen R32, the 920th of only 5,000 made.
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| Troy Cox had his R32, a narrow-angle V6 powered all-wheel-driver sleeper, named Best 21st Century VW. |
Another Good Volks member, Aki Tsuji of Delton had his 1970 Karmann Ghia autostick coupe, a "retirement toy," win Best VW of the 70s.
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| Aki Tsuji's classic Karmann Ghia features stylish "sleepy eyes." |
Winning the Best of the 1980s Volkswagen Award with their 1986 Volkswagen Cabriolet and Best of the 1990s Volkswagen Award with a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta TDI with 328K miles, and an electronic sign, Harold Walters and his family had a lot to smile about.
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| Harold Walter's other car featured a towed electronic sign and a turbo diesel engine. VWs are family fun. |
The Best in Show Audi crystal award was won by Joel Phillips of Kalamazoo, a regular customer at Foreign Car Services, a show supporting vendor. Phillips’ 1995 S6 features a rebuilt engine with a 3071 turbo and standalone engine management system. He also took home Best of the 1990s Audi, Most Miles, 114k, and Best Special Feature - a period-correct bag phone.
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| Best in Show Audi and other awards for Joel Phillips and his 1995 Audi S6. |
Tom Woodburn of Portage took home several awards with his 2005 A4, including Best 21st Century Audi, Best Daily Driver and a Judge’s Special Award for a huge bug spat.
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| Lots of awards to frame for Tom Woodburn and his 2005 Audi A4. |
Please bookmark www.DeutscheMarquesAG.com for information of interest to all German car owners and please send your feedback about the DeutscheMarques German auto event to DeutscheMarquesAG@gmail.com.
