Advent calendar opened: a model for camping fans with disappointing extras

A few weeks ago, we came up with a supposedly good idea: testing out advent calendars from our shop. The problem: we have 1,000 different ones available in our range. So, we decided to go with a random selection. Hit or miss?

Advent calendars

Franzis VW Bulli T1

11

Advent calendars

Franzis VW Bulli T1

11

What does the manufacturer promise?

The calendar claims to «turn the advent season into an automotive celebration». The box contains an eight-part build of the VW Bulli T1 from 1963 at 1:43 scale. There’s also a «large-format companion book» (in English and German) and a «sound module with original Bulli engine sounds». All this makes Bulli fans who might have bought last year’s calendar want to buy it again, as the latest version has «a lot of new additions compared to last year’s» (I couldn’t test this claim because I only had the 2021 calendar). There’s also an even more recent version with an orange Bulli, but the concept and parts are the same.

What can it do?

In the box, you’ll find 24 cardboard boxes with the different parts of the model – behind door 8, there’s also a screwdriver for the screws that you’ll get on one of the later days. You can use them to assemble the few parts that effectively make up the model. There’s also the accompanying book – more like a magazine – which tells the story of the Bulli from the first «transport van» concept just after the Second World War up to the T6. Behind the other doors, you’ll find a microfibre cloth, a magnetic bookmark and Bulli sticky notes. Everything you need is there in principle (along with some stuff you don’t). Except for two AA batteries to run the small speaker that plays the sound of the boxer engine at the touch of a button. You have to buy them separately.

Who is it right for?

The build definitely requires a lot of discipline and patience. Some days, the willing model builder can just affix the roof with two small screws – an arduous task that takes all of about 90 seconds. Personally, I’d rather build a week’s worth of door contents in one go at the weekend. Motoring and camping fans should enjoy the finished product. It’s an official, licensed Volkswagen product, so you can assume that all of the details are based on the original. After successful assembly – which isn’t particularly difficult – the model is sure to find a place in a display case or on a shelf in your hobby room. And when you have visitors, you can make use of the sound module. Smiles all round.

Is it worth the money?

In box 3, you’ll find a bookmark to mark the page you’re on in the instructions book. Wow, it’s magnetic. Box 11 contains Post-it notes. What have they got to do with the Bulli? I have no idea. In another box, there’s a fire and a tent painted on cardboard. According to the book, they enable the person assembling the model to «decorate their diorama». It seems to me that not much of this goes together. The ten-centimetre model itself is well made, and being able to play the original engine sound is cool. However, the extras are pretty disappointing, from reflective foil to stick to the plastic base that just looks cheap to the gimmicks I’ve already mentioned and the companion book that’s virtually VW propaganda. You can get nice VW Bulli models for less money, and better books.

Rating: 7 out of 24 doors