It’s an anniversary local organisers Mark and Donna Pell would never have expected back in 1984 when Mark had the ‘crazy idea’ of gathering VW enthusiasts for a day-long meet.

“I was a motor mechanic in Nambucca working on VWs and it was an idea to bring people together - for fun, for a laugh,” Mark told the Guardian.

“I never thought it would grow into what it is today.”

That first event drew 110 cars to the Raleigh Raceway - a response that convinced Donna pretty quickly that it should not be a ‘one-off’ ... and she has been firing on all cylinders keeping it going ever since.

“This year is looking to be the biggest yet - we already have 400 cars registered and it will probably be nudging 500 by the weekend,” Donna said.

“We’ve got cars from all over Australia and visitors from New Zealand and the UK.

“People who came as kids are still coming and now they are bringing their kids.”

The four-day bi-annual event has been pushed out to a week of celebratory fun this year, including the ever-popular race days held today and tomorrow at Raleigh Raceway and the Show ‘n Shine in the main street of Nambucca Heads on Saturday from 9.30am to noon.

Make sure you are in town to see the spectacle of some 450 beetles, kombis, cabriolets and more, of every colour, age, shape and size, gather in Bowra St.

Following this event everyone is welcome to join the weekend’s action (gold coin donation) at Valla Beach Resort, culminating in the Sunday night fireworks.

And what is it that draws people repeatedly to this VW spectacular?

Camaraderie aside, Brisbane’s Marcus Vass reckons it’s the common love of driving the cars.

“VWs are addictive to drive - you always feel good driving a VW,” Marcus said.