THE V-DUBS CLUB (MALTA)

A chance meeting between Oliver Attard and Colin Micallef in mid-1997 eventually led to the formation of the V-Dubs Club (Malta). 

Whilst sharing their ideas and experiences during this, and subsequent meetings, Oliver and Colin realised that, amongst other things, they shared a common vision, that of setting up a club for VW enthusiasts in Malta.  So a first meeting for VWs was held, when some ten VW Golfs of various configurations got together.  Another meeting, again organised by our intrepid duo, some two months later followed this initial get together.  This time round, the meeting mainly featured air-cooled VWs.  The meeting was held in Ta’ Qali, in collaboration with Sedqa, the local agency against drug abuse.  Some 48 cars turned up, most of which expressed their interest in joining a VW club.

The next meeting, held in November 1997, was meant to officially launch the club but the initial enthusiasm of both founders had to be held in check, as they had to dedicate their energies to earning a living.  Not wanting to let their dream fade away, they decided to seek the assistance of similarly minded enthusiasts to ensure that ideas abound and the workload would be spread more evenly.

The next event was eventually held in April 1998 when members joined up in a carcade to Buskett.  Here, people present were asked to vote for the car they liked best and the owner of the car that got the most votes, Sam Falzon was given a model of the Millionth Beetle as a trophy.  From this day on, the committee never looked back.

Meetings were initially held every two months, interspersed with the issue of a newsletter, again every two months.  This was meant to get VW enthusiasts together every so often without imposing too much on their private lives whilst keeping in touch in the meantime.  More recently, the V-Dubs committee started  to organise events more frequently, as members have expressed a desire to enjoy their pride and joy with similarly minded enthusiasts more often.  The club’s newsletter, now into its eight edition, features various articles of interest, including reports on club activities, technical reports, members cars and even test drives of new VWs, graciously provided by Continental Cars for us to test.  Continental Cars, the local agents for VWs, also made the first New Beetle to make it to the Maltese shores available to club members for them to test drive during an entire Sunday.  V-Dubs Club and Continental Cars have also teamed up on other occasions to encourage new car owners to join the VW motoring world.

Besides encouraging members to enjoy their cars, the club also strives to increase a social aspect to membership.  In fact, the Christmas event last year was a night out at a local pizza joint where members turned up with their families.  Last summer, members were invited to a barbeque instead of having them drive around the island in the hot temperatures that prevail at this time of year.  Although the first social attempt of this kind was not a resounding success, perseverance has now begun to pay dividends.  Members nowadays enjoy hanging around a bar over a cold beer, narrating their experiences to anyone who would care to listen.

Being so enthusiastic about VWs ourselves, the committee and other members also offer their assistance to ensure VWs are maintained in as good a condition as possible.  In spite of the good spares situation for VWs locally, some parts are, at times, elusive.  To get round such problems, the committee members keep a list of various suppliers who, more often than not, can provide the offending part. 

Members also share their expertise to keep cars in good order and condition.  A typical example is the 1968 VW Bus, owned by Oliver Attard.  Club members will know that three committee members got together over the past summer to restore this VW.  During its first outing, another member expressed his dissatisfaction at the method used to apply the final coat of paint.  A short discussion was held during which this member offered his spraying facilities and capabilities to restore the VW Bus to its former glory.  The club tries to further this spirit of camaraderie between VW owners.

Another aspect to providing maintenance expertise is through talks.  The club’s most recent event was, in fact, a suitable example.  Following the introduction of the VRT test in Malta, local motorists were generally concerned about the nature of the test, no doubt due to the varying nature of the reports carried in the local media.  So, whilst testing his Beetle, Colin Micallef, one of the committee members, contacted Mr Charles Mizzi, owner of Chas Ltd of Hal Far, who agreed to explain the VRT rules to V-Dubs Club members.  Here, after a pleasant Sunday morning drive, members were given a full demonstration of what the VRT test will be like in 2005.  Charles Mizzi and his capable employees clarified various contradictory rumours about the test for the Club members present.

The Club also co-operates and collaborates with other motoring clubs on the island in organising events for members.  In fact, the Club has participated in the Millenium Drive, organised locally by the Old Motors Club to mark the beginning of the Third Millenium, as well as jointly organised two events with two of the Mini Owners Clubs on the Island. Such events serve to further the members' enjoyment of their cars as well as supplementing the Club's resources where these are lacking. 

Last but not least, the club is also about obtaining advantageous deals for its members.  In fact, V-Dubs Club members enjoy various discounts and benefits, graciously offered to members on presentation of their membership cards, by different local enterprises.  Benefits include discounts on car maintenance works, parts, insurance, towing as well as car models, for those members who want to increase their collection of scale models.

Interested in joining us?  So why not go to our Joining the Club page to learn more about the benefits available to our members.