Factory tours, displays, lots of fun at VW AutoPavilion

The VW AutoPavilion in Kariega is home to automotive icons of the past eight decades and hosts factory tours, experiential, educational and nostalgic displays, as well as several exciting driving simulators.

VWSA Kariega has been building over 4 million Volkswagen vehicles since 1951 and is the largest private employer in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The VW AutoPavilion is a popular destination for school trips, family outings and motoring enthusiasts. Its experiential displays and driving simulators demonstrate how aspects such as solar power, GPS, fuel-saving technologies and vehicle safety features work.

Let’s go! Here Onalenna Setokoe (9) and Emma Swanepoel (15) are having fun “taking the road” in one of the VW AutoPavilion’s Beetle simulators.

Photo: Heilie Combrinck

Onalenne Setokoe at the Rapid Response Marine Rescue vehicle which is a Polo Vivo Ocean which was a concept inspired by South Africa’s beautiful coastal scenery which dictated the colour palette of the build.

Photo: Heilie Combrinck

It is also home to a collection of around 50 unforgettable vehicles, including the only Volkswagen XL1 hybrid concept car in South Africa. The oldest in the fleet is a 1938 DKW F-5 Reichklasse, while the Beetles are a perennial favourite with visitors.

You can also meet Jan, a 1949 Beetle – the oldest original Beetle in South Africa, and Matti – the last to roll off the local production line in 1979.

At the VW AutoPavilion one can view over 80 years of automotive history – from the early Studebakers to the iconic Citi Golf; the original “hippie wagon”, the Kombi; and the Audi S1 Sport Quattro, which changed the face of rally driving in South Africa.

Jeroen is the VW Beetle Trans-Saharan Traveller which can be seen at the VW AutoPavilion. This Beetle’s journey started in 1982 at Puebla, Mexico, where it was manufactured. Since then, Jeroen has lived on three continents and explored 20 000km across Africa. Seen standing next to Jeroen is Emma Swanepoel.

Photo: Heilie Combrinck

VW FactoryTours

The VW AutoPavilion offers VW FactoryTours. The one-hour guided tour offers visitors a VIP view of how the new Polo van Polo Vivo are manufactured. It is free of charge and runs Monday to Friday at 09:00, 10:15, 12:00 and 13:15 for visitors aged 8 years or older. The VW FactoryTour includes free entrance to the VW AutoPavilion.

To join, visitors can contact the AutoPavilion at 041 994 5941/3 or autopavilion@vwsa.co.za to book your space.

SOURCE: VW AUTOPAVILION

Watch out! Here comes racer Onalenna Setokoe posing for fun next to the Volkswagen Formula VW. A 4 cylinder in-line VWR-type 590, 16 valve, prepared by VW Motorsport in Kariega.

Photo: Heilie Combrinck