Coming Home: 36th GTI Meeting a complete success

Who for the first time on the Ascension weekend in Reifnitz (A) visits the GTI meeting, is simply overwhelmed. Shining, sparkling and gleaming VWs and Audis of rather older vintage as far as the eye can see, in original condition, strikingly foiled, masterfully tuned or just garishly tinkered with. A humming parade of such cars moves at walking pace between the many onlookers through the small town, where every space is parked. Groups of friends and families sit next to their vehicles in camping chairs, enjoying their picnic or letting beer cans fizz, while someone somewhere cleans or polishes something on a car. In the distance, the tires of a drift show squeal, occasionally drowned out by the thumping bass from an open tailgate. Clearly, the people here are in their paradise.

The legend lives
How do three letters manage to attract 150,000 people from all over the world to a picturesque lake every year? The abbreviation "GTI" stands for a myth that is also within reach of young people or those who don't have very high incomes. Around 40 years ago, the first Golf GTI with 110 hp and just over 800 kg curb weight, the idea of the powerful everyday car. For almost the same period of time, owners and fans of the GTIs have been meeting to present themselves and their cars and to admire the bodies of others. "Coming Home" - that was the message to the GTI fan community this year. The weather god probably drives GTI himself, because on all days the sun shone from the blue sky and if you listened to the visitors, this should not be a rarity. Despite a higher number of visitors than in previous years, the meeting went off without any major incidents, according to the organizers. Also for the law enforcement officers, the event days on site were calmer with fewer incidents than in recent years. Why not, because the peaceful visitors want to have fun instead of stress and be with people who share their car fetish, instead of looking at them without understanding because of it.

One car connects the world
As usual, the picture in the GTI Mecca was varied - the most diverse country license plates testified to the internationality - many Englishmen, Swiss, Germans, Italians and Slovenians, but also a GTI fan group from America wanted to be there at all costs and the GTI Club from Dubai also announced its participation. Whether it then also made it, eludes the knowledge of the author, but he discovered a well-kept white Golf Cabrio with Moscow markings. Which other (affordable) brand can count on such loyal fans? Several times a day, die-hard GTI fans were in the spotlight at the "Fan Drive". On the VW platform, participants were able to present their GTI and take center stage in front of the eager audience in an interview with Miriam Höller. The high proportion of Swiss cars, which experience has shown to be particularly faithfully restored or tastefully tuned, was striking. Also interesting were the stories behind the owners, some of whom have been caring for and cherishing the cars for decades. Or tinker with them as a never-ending project.

Ladies, start your engines
Premiere celebrated not only the Up GTIbut also the GTI breakfast for tuning ladies on Friday. Also new this year was the Ladies Box at the VW stand, one of the four Crew Boxes that the Wolfsburg company always gives to selected GTI clubs or individual owners of tuned GTIs. Over four days, four different ladies showcased their great cars. The backdrop for the clubs could hardly have been better - sunshine in the sky, the turquoise lake in the background and again masses of visitors strolling along the one-way system or taking advantage of the new seating on the construction logs for a break. For a car fan, a visit to the GTI meeting at Lake Wörthersee definitely belongs on his bucket list. The next opportunity will be in Reifnitz from May 9 to 12, 2018, when the 37th meeting will take place.

woertherseetreffen.at