The Das Maltese Kruizers (DMK) is organising a static car next Sunday between 9am and 4pm at the car park opposite Marley’s in Bahar ic-Caghaq. DMK is an informal group of enthusiasts who are love old VWs, mainly the air-cooled variety and campers.
DMK is not the first group of VW enthusiasts on the island. There was a VW club in existence way back in the early 1960s that catered primarily for Beetle owners as back then Type 2s (aka transporters/commercials/kombis/hippy vans) were mostly seen as workhorses. Numerous variants of Type 2s found their way onto the island, including panel vans, microbuses, ambulances and pick-ups.
Another club was formed in 1997, this time catering for both air and water-cooled VWs. It was called VDubs Club (Malta) but it disbanded some years later. A few of the air-cooled enthusiasts stayed in touch and held informal activities from time to time. From this group of friends in 2005 emerged the Das Maltese Kruizer. It currently includes about 250 enthusiasts who meet regularly to enjoy their rides together and socialise as frequently as the weather allows. This has always been the prime motivator for VW enthusiasts since the very first club.
Besides enjoying their VWs, DMK members also share technical knowledge and help each other out wherever possible to ensure that these endearing machines are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. The club also takes an active part in shows in aid of various charitable initiatives, such as the immensely successful Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina show, now in its seventh year and which, last year alone collected circa €150,000 for the Community Chest Fund. Another very popular charity among our members is Puttinu Cares. On one occasion, club members participated in a day drive with other car clubs where children could choose a car of their preference to be taken to various entertainment venues.
We are aiming to have around 50 vehicles on show during this event. Members of the public visiting the show will be invited to vote for the cars they like best. At the end of the show, votes cast will be counted and trophies presented to the best cars present.