VAG Fair York 2020

After much anticipation the European car meet in York, Pennsylvania took place on August 9, 2020. With the pandemic situation many were uncertain if this event was still going to take place. Despite the circumstances it ended up being one of the, if not the largest, turnout this show has seen.



I came along with a group of cars from Maryland for the approximately hour drive. We had to wake up at 5am to meet with the rest of the group at a local school parking lot. We followed the lead of a beautiful R32 VR6 24V swapped Corrado that the owner had worked on diligently for years on end.




The azure skies spotted with clouds lit the field up that Sunday morning. We were the first group that rolled in at around 7am. Within less than an hour you could see the line of cars flowing in. Rabbits, Mk2 Golfs and Jettas, VW Bugs, Audis, Mk6 and Mk7 Golf Rs- just about every thing VAG you could imagine!











The cars kept rolling in, until the entire field was full of tastefully tuned euro cars! As noon approached the temperature started to rise to the high 80s with considerable humidity. The sponsor area was in the middle of the field demarcated by a patch of dry dirt ground. This is where all the dedicated show cars were.

















I also had the opportunity to finally the see the 1.8T swapped EK Honda Civic coupe. Dee Shimp is the owner of it and is currently working on a mid-engine VR6 engine DC2 Integra build! Of course it is the bane of a purist, but if you know the story behind the cars you'll know he's an admirable mechanic that likes to turn lemons into lemonade- except in this case the lemons are convenient JDM cars and Volkswagen Drivetrains and the lemonade is the eccentric final product made by  the fusing together of these components... I mean lemons.





There were innumerable unique builds at this massive show. There were plenty of cars I had seen numerous times over several years, it was an absolute pleasure to see so many in person finally and even get to meet a few of the owners.













I think it is safe to assume that after months in lockdown and so many shows cancelled many were itching to get their cars out and to see be united with friends they may only see during events like these. There were license plates from everywhere- Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and more! I don't think I would've been here for this show if it were not for a few friends who helped out with a booth at Waterfest 2019 (cancelled this year) in New Jersey. I am truly grateful for this community and hobby.