Many people know Volkswagens by some of their more unique models such as the Beetle or the classic VW Bus. But for a group of a few dozen Chippewa Valley folks, a passion for Volkswagens runs deep. It’s a car that’s both stylish and reliable, many of its vintage models are endlessly collectible, and millions of people all over the world make Volkswagens their go-to car. Locally, the Chippewa Valley Volkswagen Club holds a huge annual car show (this year’s is June 17 and 18 at Princeton Valley Golf Course), plus monthly meetings, cruises, events, and more. We recently sat down with Nick Wiener, president of the local club, to talk about his passion for VWs and the local crew of dedicated Volkswagen lovers in the Valley.

The club actually started in the ’90s right? When did you become involved?
Last October. I’ve never been in a club before, but I’ve been into Volkswagens for 20 or 30 years now.

Yeah, what is it about Volkswagens that makes people want to get together, talk about them, and even collect them?
Well, there’s a lot of nostalgia in them. They have a quirkiness to them. People just love to gather around them. I mean I drive around in my Bug – it’s a 1975 Super Beetle – and people follow me around and ask me questions when I get out.

I don’t know much about Volkswagens, but I know some of the makes, and the Beetle, that’s a big one. That’s a pretty collectible car, especially the older ones, right?
Yeah the older the more collectible they are. There’s a guy in our club that has one from ’39. It’s pretty cool.

Some of these older guys in the club, they’ve been collecting forever …
Forever, yeah. I bought my first one when I was 12. And I’ve restored probably 20 of them since then.

I saw on the website you guys differentiate between air-cooled and water-cooled Volkswagen engines. What is exactly the difference there?
Well, air-cooled is an engine that doesn’t have a radiator. It doesn’t use coolant to cool the engine down. Volkswagens pre-1979 were pretty much all air-cooled. The later ones like the Passat and Jetta are water-cooled.

Is one better than the other? Do collectors look for a certain one?
The true Volkswagen guys, they’re gonna go after the air-cooled, but the club is open to everybody. I drive a new Passat; that’s my daily driver. But I’d much rather be driving by Bug, you know. The cars are built right, and they’re toughly made. They last. Up here in Wisconsin, it’s tough to find one that isn’t rusted, but the motor’s are always solid. (They’ve) got some crazy history to them, too. Adolf Hitler actually commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to build the Volkswagen Bug as a people’s car. That’s what Volkswagen means, the “people’s car.” Kinda sketchy history, but they’re still great cars.

You’ve met a lot of other VW owners around town now. What’s been cool about getting to talk to people who are just as passionate about it as you are?
Well, that’s just it. They’re very passionate. The people that drive Volkswagens, they’re usually nice, honest, and forward people, so they’re easy to get along with. I just moved to the area three years ago, and now I have this huge group of friends.

What is the general spirit behind the club? Why is this a thing that you guys want to get together and talk about?
It becomes a passion. When you get into Volkswagens, it never leaves you. Even when I don’t have a Volkswagen, I’m thinking about Volkswagens. My wife says I can’t have any more, but I still want one. And it’s the same for all the other guys. Once you get behind the wheel of a Volkswagen, you’ll never want to drive anything else. I look forward to that snow being gone so much every winter, just so I can pull it out and get started driving again. It’s just so fun.