PASADENA, Calif. — In a world where modern cars dominate the roads with their sleek designs and cutting-edge technology, there exists a passionate community that holds dear the charm and simplicity of yesteryear’s Volkswagens.

“I think VWs have always had a long-lasting, and timeless effect on people,” said Mike Mera, founder of Volks Stuff, a Volkswagen-inspired lifestyle brand which hosted a gathering of VW car clubs and solo riders at Congregation Ale House in Pasadena, California. “They’re very nostalgic. Chances are you know somebody who owned a VW, and people are collecting them, and restoring them again.”

The iconic Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, was first produced by the German company Volkswagen in 1938. Since then the company introduced a wide range of autos still popular today.

“There’s a whole range of VW. There’s the Beetle, which most people are familiar with,” said Mera. “There’s the buses. There’s the Type 3, which are the square backs, and there’s even the Things.”

“Being from a VW car club, and then being able to go and show off your car, and everybody getting along, the camaraderie, that’s the number one thing for me,” said Joe Martinez, from Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, who belongs to the Volks Style Car Club.

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