Local VW and Porsche Enthusiasts Gather at Concord Park

I have very few childhood memories that do not include a Volkswagen. My father owned a 1968 WV Squareback. My cousin builds custom cars and one of his first was a 1964 VW Beetle.

But the greatest influence is owed to a VW bus. My best friend’s parents owned a 1970 VW Microbus that he shared with his two older brothers. When we reached driving age, that VW took us everywhere.

Man, if that “VDub” could talk.

Not surprisingly, that bus remained in their family in running condition for nearly 40 years, long after we had moved on with our own lives.

So, it’s no surprise that Sunday’s VW Treffen held at Dave Brubeck Park in Concord called me to stop by for a visit.

The event is sponsored by the NorCal Vintage VW and Porsche Treffen. The word treffen is the German word for “an encounter” or “gathering” explained the treffen’s founder Mike Rogers, a resident of Concord.

“I have a lot of friends who have really rare VWs right here in Concord,” he said. “I was getting tired of driving to Sacramento and even further to show my car. So, I decided to do our own show.

“We are open to any kind of VW or Porsche and we don’t have a lot of the rules and requirements that many car shows have, Rogers said. "This is why we call this event a treffen and not a car show.” 

Held the first Sunday in August each year, this is the treffen’s fifth year. It has grown every year and the 2011 treffen had more than 100 cars on display.

I also learned that, over the years, the VW company often would partner with other coach builders to create variants built on the VW frame.

Hebmϋller was a well-known coach builder and many of the rare VWs on display were manufactured by this company.

One of the rarest on display was a post-World War II police car owned by Folsom resident Eric Henrikson.

“It’s a 49' Hebmuller Type 18 police vehicle,” he said.

From its flat olive drab green paint to its blue spotlight, Euro siren and canvas convertible top, the austerity of the Beetle-like vehicle was striking.

It is no coincidence that Henrikson chose an old police car to restore and maintain. He is a retired Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy and the sole survivor of a helicopter crash that took the lives of two deputies six-plus years ago. Henrikson spent five months in the hospital.

After his recovery he purchased the VW police vehicle and restored it.

“It was delivered to Kiel, Germany, in late 1949.” Henrikson said. “Everything on it is original except the paint. The previous owner repainted it in the late 1980s.”

The treffen came to a close about 2 p.m. and as I walked back to my car I mused: What kind of stories might that old VW police car tell if it could talk?