Time to Roam Magazine Issue 3 - June/July 2013 | Page 6

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Rod Br

Do you remember your first trip in a Kombi? For
me the memory goes back to the early 1970s and
a journey to the markets in Sydney, stocking up
groceries for my Aunt’s corner store in Lithgow.
As we headed off over the Blue Mountains, I was intrigued by the
mechanics and the heat of the engine under the floor, while at the
same time focussed on summoning the strength to pull shut the
heavy sliding door on the side in just one go.
My interest in Volkswagens had already been sparked years before
by my Uncle John. He took great pleasure studying the gobsmacked
looks on the faces of me and my brothers as he lifted the bonnet on
his shiny new car and started loading luggage inside.
This year marks the closing of a chapter in engineering history
we’d probably be celebrating if it wasn’t for the unfortunate fact that it
began with A