Low-Down of The Players 6.0 Hoe-Down
On a fine Sunday afternoon in September at the North Weald Airfield, Essex, the annual Players Show took place. For the sixth year running, the Players Show played host to some of the best modified cars in Britain.
Hosting a large quantity of V.A.G machines, old and new, crowds gathered in their thousands to witness the event. As expected, the airfield was embellished with the site of cars on coilovers, Monster energy drink cans and pedobear stickers.
After embarking on an unscheduled Sat Nav related misadventure, both me and a friend of mine parked our Golfs on the field and dived head-first into the glorious sea of automotive pornography. Wandering towards the show grounds, a rich supply of Golfs, Polos, Beetles, and various Audis presented themselves towards our eyes.
This year however, the organisers stressed that all makes and models were welcome. Indeed Players 6.0 presented many different and interesting types of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Citroen and countless American classics. Whilst the variation proved fascinating, this did however result in the occasional Chav gatherings in Ford Fiestas and Citroen Saxos.
With the amount of vehicles on air ride on show, my eyes quickly grew larger than my wallet. Upon learning how much such a modification would cost, the prospect of fitting bags to my car suddenly appeared over indulgent. Instead I decided to amuse myself with the countless humorous stickers on show. Pedobear made countless appearances, amongst many other humorous classics renowned throughout the VW scene.
Whilst the supply of awesome machines was more than adequate, the lack of continuity and organisation left many show-goers slightly dissatisfied. Despite this, an element of surprise and exploring the unknown became my personal impression. Metaphorically speaking, if we had indeed dived head-first into the ocean of polished machinery, the adventure of finding the sharks amongst the mackerel proved enigmatic and thrilling.
Inside the main hangar, the cream of the crop appeared in large numbers. Interesting finds were a Golf Mk4 pick-up conversion, an immaculate red '64 Beetle, a stupendously fast looking Vento, a French Mk2 G60 Synchro, a slammed Audi 100, a rare Renault 19 Cabriolet and a collective of the most beautiful Mk1 Golfs in existence. Furthermore, the crowds were also entertained by a course constructed for RC cars which partook in a drifting competition.
Whilst the main hangar proved legitimately pornographic, the adjacent hangar harboured some beautiful air-cooled masterpieces. Visitors were dazzled by various luscious split screen buses, classic Beetles and Karmann Ghias. A personal highlight of this vintage hangar would be the extremely rare Volkswagen Brasilia. Imported from Brazil, where the Brasilia was designed, built and sold, the current owner from Holland had decided to attend Players 2012 to show off this hard-to-find air-cooled Latin American icon.
The Players 6.0 Highlight Reel
1) Air-cooled Golf Mk3
Surely the most unnecessary conversion in automotive history, however also the most jaw droppingly incredible. The owner had essentially taken a 1993 Mk3 Golf Cl, removed the original engine and began the conversion. Fans of air-cooled Volkswagens will immediately recall the engine's position as typically placed in the rear of the vehicle. Likewise, the owner of this Frankenstein Mk3 had indeed placed the air-cooled unit in the boot of the Golf. Also, the original engine bay had been converted into a storage compartment, like you would find in a classic Beetle. The nature of this Golf's beating heart will show little tell tale signs, besides the mammoth exhaust at the rear of the vehicle. Again, despite the fact that such a conversion seems entirely nonsensical, we have to admire the workmanship and the desire to break the mould.
2) Renault Fourgonnette
Putain de merde! Excuse my French, but this little peasant van really did cement its place in the Players 6.0 Highlight Reel. The base for this project was a 1984 Renault van based upon the iconic R4. Immediately, the unique desire to utilise such a different vehicle scores brownie points. Secondly, the low-stanced, rat-look styling created an absolutely amazing retro impression upon the crowds. Should this fail to tickle your pickle, the use of sticker bombing inside and out added a slight pinch of bad-ass to this little van's appeal. The interior of the van was pasted with various comic strips and French posters, along with the driver and passenger windows (impossible to drive?). The over-sized exhaust added a sense of comedy as the roof-rack of assorted retro props caused fascination. Bon!
3) Volkswagen Brasilia
As previously mentioned, to gaze your eyes upon a Brasilia at a European show is a spectacle in itself. The Brasilia was created solely for the Brazilian market by Volkswagen for the Brazilian people. Whilst some were imported elsewhere, the majority were purchased in the country of the 2016 Olympic Games. The styling appears to be a mismatch of many different designs. At the front end it appeared to be not too dissimilar to the Volkswagen K70, with the rear contrasting with what could only be described as being reminiscent of an AMC Pacer. The Brasilia's power unit was the air-cooled unit from a Beetle, hence the logical link to the air-cooled hangar. Enough history though, this particular version appeared fairly tatty, presumably through intention, and was finished off in blue. The paintwork was chipping off, revealing the obviously cream undercoat. None of that is important, as this is a truly unique and stand-out car worth of the Highlight Reel.
4) V5 UTE
A recognised icon for most modern VW fans, this incredible project started life as a MK4 Golf Variant. Powered by a V5 unit, hence the V5 in the name, this project always appeared to be more than a backstreet hack-job. Constructed by a dedicated enthusiast in Kent, this MK4 UTE must surely be a world first in addition to an immediate inductee into the Highlight Reel. The finish on the body work appears to be absolutely superb. Furthermore, the use of air and rather stunning 5-spoke rims turns this chop-shop pick-up truck into a low-riding pimp waggon.
5) Chopped Bug
Little information on this rather stunning piece of machinery. However it is clearly based upon an original Volkswagen Beetle, and has been butchered with a saw. Butchered of course being an incredibly harsh choice of terminology, so instead the word 'chopped' will suit adequately. Okay, so the acknowledgement that the owner has taken a chainsaw to the Beetle's roof and windscreen has been announced, the addition of a flat canvas roof in its place however finishes off the look rather splendidly. On inspection, the thought as to how practical this would be to drive crossed our minds, that is until we decided that the Beetle's look was far too high ranking on the 'too cool for skool' hierarchy of pure awesomeness to matter.
Epic Fail Moment!
Don't hate the player, hate the game? Whoever owns this Saxo has succeeded in bastardising this idiom out of the English language. Further causing it to spontaneously combust and melt into a pool of molten irony. Admittedly, most of the body work for this rather miserable Saxo simply appears to be your run-of-the-mill Big Mac meal consuming tripe. Once turning to the rear of this hateful machine, the obvious crime against humanity becomes evident. What can only be described as a rear number plate with physical retardations appears to be wandering off towards the driver's side. If this is your car, please explain yourself. Don't hate the game, hate the player...
Conclusively, the Players 6.0 show proved to be a brilliant day out with a wide variety of interesting cars on show. Due to our great experiences, we can only anticipate Players 7.0 next year. Hopefully this time there will be smaller queues for the food...