Most of the US automotive attention was focused on the last day of Monterey Car Week out west. But on a warm and sunny mid-August Sunday in NYC, dueling Volkswagen and Porsche shows meant a rather solid day of car culture in the city. A unique start was hitchhiking a ferry ride with a roll in wave for Gridlock on Governors Island.

It’s my second year attending this long running air-cooled focused vintage VW show(2024 photos here). There were different awards classes but in general Beetles, Vans and Karmanns comprised the vehicles on show.

Like the Porsche 911, I’m reminded of how vintage VW design relied on strong simple silhouette shapes. It’s a characteristic lost from contemporary vehicle design with the exception of a specific electric pickup truck that’s more a lesson of what to avoid.

Beyond having time to spend looking over some pristine stock models to tasteful customs I once again found the VW owners to be some of the most friendly of all the car community meetups I attend. Looking forward to attending again in 2026.

Photos and Text: Dave Pinter