Volvo 480 Club Europe

I was really impressed with details of the meet up that Jan from Berlin and the German 480 owners had in Osnabruck with over 20 480s earlier this year. It made me think "we should have an international get together".

So Jan and I have chatted a few times in recent weeks and we are delighted to announce an international get together in Germany in Bruggen next May, very close to the border with the Netherlands. It's also easy driving distance from there over the Dutch border to Born, where the 480s were built at the former DAF factory, as well as Eindhoven the home of the DAF museum.

17/18/19 May 2024 is the Pentacost holiday weekend in most of Europe, what we call the Whit Weekend in the UK. Unfortunately it's not a UK public holiday weekend, but I am hoping that with nearly 9 months advance warning some drivers from the UK will be able to make it over either via Eurotunnel or the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry.

We also hope to see 480 enthusiasts from Belgium and France as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the UK and possibly even further afield.

More details will follow soon, including the online registration form plus the full itinerary. This event will also be publicised on Instagram, Twitter, Threads and the various 480 Facebook groups. Sylvia, Jeff, David and Thijs from this forum are already aware of the outline plans.

I am currently away for the weekend with my wife and we only have very limited WiFi and mobile phone coverage. So more details will follow on the forum in the next few days. It'll be great to meet some more people from the forum in May 2024!

Very tempting!

jamescarruthers wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 27, 2023 5:29 pm

Very tempting!

Go for it!

hmmmmmmmmmm


I'll see whether my insurance covers me outside the UK.....

I've already booked the cattery for Willow as well as channel tunnel for Al and I to take 2 cars.

I'll see whether my insurance covers me outside the UK.....

I'd recommend also getting breakdown cover which will repatriate your car in the event of of a major problem. Maybe we should all travel in convoy, just in case.

dragonflyjewels wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 27, 2023 8:19 pm

I've already booked the cattery for Willow as well as channel tunnel for Al and I to take 2 cars.

I'll see whether my insurance covers me outside the UK.....

I'd recommend also getting breakdown cover which will repatriate your car in the event of of a major problem. Maybe we should all travel in convoy, just in case.

I was advised by my insurers to add cover for the period of the trip only as it's far cheaper to do it that way unless travel abroad is regular.

At present I plan to travel out the previous Monday as a Dutch friend and I are going to do the Ardennes region visit that we have been talking about since before the pandemic. I may well join the convoy home though if that's ok?

I am really delighted that the event is happening. Jan is highly organised and he is checking out the hotel in the next few weeks when he's in the area on business. It's looking like the visit to the DAF museum will be at 12 noon on the Saturday and they will give us a meeting room as well as a guided tour.

More details of the full itinerary will follow on soon.

It's great to see so much interest in the event here as well as on Facebook and Instagram. Twitter and Threads will follow.

Oh days! This sounds fantastic! I'm very keen for this, especially as I've never been driving outside of the UK. 9 months should be enough time to get everything in place (I say with caution) ...

If anyone here in the UK is thinking about it, please let me know.

Laurie945 wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 28, 2023 7:56 am

Oh days! This sounds fantastic! I'm very keen for this, especially as I've never been driving outside of the UK. 9 months should be enough time to get everything in place (I say with caution) ...

If anyone here in the UK is thinking about it, please let me know.

It's 20 years since I last drove a right hand drive car on the right side of the road Laurie. It's not rocket science - it's important though to read up a bit in advance, have the right kit in the car (warning triangles, first aid kits, hiz viz tops etc) and above all else not to drive when you are tired. Sylvia also mentioned the importance of the right insurance and break down cover too.

Sylvia has mentioned to me before that the UK GTs attract a lot of interest elsewhere in Europe as the wheels and individual pattern leather seats etc really stand out. I plan to bring my Burgundy Pearl Metallic one next May.

I am glad that there's 9 months to plan all of the finer details. I am hoping to get a few days in Berlin in November to ideally meet Jan face to face for the first time. He's highly organised.

All in all it should be a fun few days. There's been a lot of interest from Italy especially!

Many thanks for the quick registration.
My list already counts 24x 480 and there are still 262 days left until the meeting

Here is a first interim status on the number of 480
(28.08. 8 p.m.)

1. Jan (GER)
2. Martin + Wendy (UK)
3. Fabian + 1 (GER)
4. Malte & Madeleina (GER)
5. Andreas (GER)
6. Marion & Frank (GER)
7. Annett & Jörg (GER)
8. Sylvia & Florian (GER)
9. Karsten (GER)
10. Beate & Thomas (GER)
11. Vadim (GER)
12. Dimitri (GER)
13. Joep O. +1 (NL)
14. Jason S. +2 (UK)
15. Roderick F. (UK)
16. Sylvia (UK)
17. Alastair (UK)
18. Gabriel (UK)
19. Jorge +1 (Portugal)
20. Ahti +1 (Finland)
21. Hendrik +1 (NL)
22. Jantina (NL)
23. Haarkon (GER)
24. Michael R. (GER)
25.
26.
...

Jan_Berlin! wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 28, 2023 6:17 pm

Many thanks for the quick registration.
My list already counts 24x 480 and there are still 262 days left until the meeting

Here is a first interim status on the number of 480
(28.08. 8 p.m.)

1. Jan (GER)
2. Martin + Wendy (UK)
3. Fabian + 1 (GER)
4. Malte & Madeleina (GER)
5. Andreas (GER)
6. Marion & Frank (GER)
7. Annett & Jörg (GER)
8. Sylvia & Florian (GER)
9. Karsten (GER)
10. Beate & Thomas (GER)
11. Vadim (GER)
12. Dimitri (GER)
13. Joep O. +1 (NL)
14. Jason S. +2 (UK)
15. Roderick F. (UK)
16. Sylvia (UK)
17. Alastair (UK)
18. Gabriel (UK)
19. Jorge +1 (Portugal)
20. Ahti +1 (Finland)
21. Hendrik +1 (NL)
22. Jantina (NL)
23. Haarkon (GER)
24. Michael R. (GER)
25.
26.
...

Wow - just wow Jan! Finland and Portugal? That's hardcore! Those will be pretty epic roadtrips

I really hope that some of our fellow 480 fanatics from France, Belgium and Luxembourg join us too - Eastern Europe as well, maybe Scandinavia?

I know there's a lot of interest been expressed on Facebook already from Italy too.

Exciting! More on the itinerary to follow soon. I am due to have another conversation with the DAF museum in Eindhoven on Wednesday, so please watch this space everyone.

What's the plans for accommodation?

jifflemon wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 29, 2023 8:07 am

What's the plans for accommodation?

There's a discounted rate that Jan has negotiated here Jeff - it's got a big car park and the hotel are happy to block spaces for the 480 event:

https://thebridgge.de

It's an easy drive from there to places like Eindhoven, Born etc. Jan has a business trip there in a few weeks so he will talk again to the hotel. There's a bit more info in the Facebook event page

Update:
Here is a first interim status on the number of 480
(11.09.)

1. Jan (GER)
2. Martin + Wendy (UK)
3. Fabian + 1 (GER)
4. Malte & Madeleina (GER)
5. Andreas (GER)
6. Marion & Frank (GER)
7. Annett & Jörg (GER)
8. Sylvia & Florian (GER)
9. Karsten (GER)
10. Beate & Thomas (GER)
11. Vadim (GER)
12. Dimitri (GER)
13. Joep O. +1 (NL)
14. Jason S. +2 (UK)
15. Roderick F. (UK)
16. Sylvia (UK)
17. Alastair (UK)
18. Gabriel (UK)
19. Jorge +1 (Portugal)
20. Ahti +1 (Finland)
21. Hendrik +1 (NL)
22. Jantina (NL)
23. Haarkon (GER)
24. Michael R. (GER)
25. Jan V. +1 (NL)
26. Arne + Veronika (GER)
27. Thija D. (NL)
28. Reiner + Barbara (GER)
29. Klaus + Steffi (GER)
30. Gregory + 1 (BE)
31. Peter + 1 (BE)
...

Preparations are underway

Hello. Of the UK people signed up to attend, have any of you decided or booked up your method of crossing the channel ?
Ferry from Hull seems quite expensive.
Cheers, Richard.

Ferry prices do seem to gone up quite a lot. Dover Calais is a lot more than it used to be. I've bitten the bullet and booked the tunnel - they do a weekend saver fare. The longer you leave it the higher the price. I must say, if we were further north than Norfolk I'd be looking at a longer crossing to cut down on the driving.

richard-smyth wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 13, 2023 5:09 pm

Hello. Of the UK people signed up to attend, have any of you decided or booked up your method of crossing the channel ?
Ferry from Hull seems quite expensive.
Cheers, Richard.

From Hull includes overnight sailing so standard cabin included each way I think. Leaves around 8pm get's back around 7/8am usually - mini cruise nightmares too. Plenty of intoxicated beings on their way to Amsterdam etc!

Update:
Here is a first interim status on the number of 480
(11.10.)

1. Jan (GER)
2. Martin + Wendy (UK)
3. Fabian + 1 (GER)
4. Malte & Madeleina (GER)
5. Andreas (GER)
6. Marion & Frank (GER)
7. Annett & Jörg (GER)
8. Sylvia & Florian (GER)
9. Karsten (GER)
10. Til +1 (GER)
11. Vadim (GER)
12. Dimitri (GER)
13. Joep O. +1 (NL)
14. Jason S. +2 (UK)
15. Roderick F. (UK)
16. Sylvia (UK)
17. Alastair (UK)
18. Gabriel (UK)
19. Jorge +1 (Portugal)
20. Ahti +1 (Finland)
21. Hendrik +1 (NL)
22. Jantina (NL)
23. Haarkon (GER)
24. Michael R. (GER)
25. Jan V. +1 (NL)
26. Arne + Veronika (GER)
27. Thija D. +1(NL)
28. Reiner + Barbara (GER)
29. Klaus + Steffi (GER)
30. Gregory + 1 (BE)
31. Peter + 1 (BE)
32. Evert (NL)
33. Joren (NL)
34. Bart (NL)
35. Colin +2 (NL)
36. Jarno​ +2 (NL)
37. Antonio +1 (NL)
38. Florian +1 (BE)
39. Gilbert +1(CH)
...

Hey, is there a sign up/event page yet with the full itinerary and links etc.