VW Beetle meeting in Eggenburg: 30 years, 30 trophies – anniversaries at the Beetle meeting

The Eggenburg VW Beetle meeting celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 1, 2023. The first participants were welcomed from 9 a.m., before the Beetles could be seen in full swing at 1 p.m. on the exit to Harmannsdorf and back again. While the jury was then busy selecting the 30 best cars out of the 602 that appeared, guests were offered a wide range of entertainment: with a variety of food stalls, live music and a jumping castle, there was something for everyone from big to small.

At about 3:30 pm, the awards ceremony took place. According to the slogan “30 years, 30 trophies”, 30 cool vehicles are highlighted. But they weren’t in the categories you might expect, like the most expensive car. Among others, the beetle with the longest flight or the oldest and youngest participant was honored. Incidentally, the youngest was Jonathan, the grandson of the guest of honor, Wolfgang Brandstetter, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria.

The president of the local ARBÖ club, Emmerich Grath, celebrated 30 years by organizing Austria’s largest Beetle meeting at the same time as the Beetle meeting. Next year, however, another person will be at the helm: Mr. Grath has solemnly handed over his position as chief organizer to Hans Hohenegger. Therefore the meeting will not be organized by ARBÖ in the future. An independent association will dedicate itself to this task. Details are still to be worked out, but Mr. Hohenegger and his wife, Gabriela Hohenegger, are full of energy and are already looking forward to many visits to the VW Beetle meeting next year.