The Volkswagen enthusiast has long been defined by the divide between fans of the company’s early aircooled (Beetle, Bus, Karmann-Ghia) and later watercooled (Jettas, GTIs, Corrados, etc.) models. But in reality, today’s VW community is far more complex than simply whether you prefer a radiator or not. In fact, it extends well beyond the VW badge those vehicles all have in common to now encompass the broader Volkswagen Group of brands that includes Audi and Porsche. One family, one love.

No event in recent memory reinforces that “big tent” ideal like L’oe Show, and it happens to take place in Eastwood’s back yard in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The event just wrapped up its third installment over Labor Day weekend, bringing in thousands of loyal Dubbers from all corners of the country as well as from other countries.

L’oe Show is the brainchild of Jamie Orr, a hugely influential figure in VW and Audi enthusiast culture. He parlayed his Pottstown-based Orchid Euro business, which imports unique cars and rare parts from Europe, into a position of influence at VW headquarters, thanks in no small part to his outsized personality and social media following. With a thumb on the pulse of American enthusiast culture, he now works alongside Volkswagen of America to create special show car concepts for SEMA and also consults on special edition production models.

In any given year, Jamie travels the world as a semi-official enthusiast ambassador for VW, attending shows throughout America, Europe and even Africa. His L’oe Show – a multi-day festival, if we’re being honest – has been inspired by great festivals he’s attended in other places and is a natural extension of his desire to connect VW enthusiasts in a way that no other show can do. It’s a uniquely Jamie Orr expression.

Part of the magic of the L’oe Show is the melding of all factions within the VW scene. Aircooled and watercooled models are treated with the same reverence, even if wildly modded, modern cars dominate the show field. So too are sister brands Audi and Porsche, which have shared so much engineering with VW models for decades and are often seen as natural progressions for many Dubbers as they mature and acquire greater financial means.

The show field is a diverse cross-section of the VW culture. You’ll find bone-stock early Beetles parked alongside heavily modified turbocharged GTIs. Traditional favorites like Westphalia camper vans share space with modern VW SUVs outfitted for rugged overlanding excursions. Audis are varied as humble early quattro sedans to 600+ horsepower RS 6 battle wagons. Porsches are finally becoming a bigger part of the mix as the show evolves, this year getting a block all to themselves.

That’s right, a block. Because unlike most large care shows that take place on an asphalt parking lot or maybe a grass field, L’oe Show takes advantage of Jamie’s adopted hometown of Pottstown. He fills its streets with hundreds of show cars and thousands of attendees who patronize the local businesses in the once bustling downtown district that, like many 20^th-century industrial cities, has seen better days. For the week that leads up to the main event, downtown Poittstown is transformed into a bustling festival village.

The show takes advantage of some of the vacant retail storefronts, converting them into temporary pop-up stores for select show vendors, complete with exterior signage and window displays. The number of available storefronts for the 2023 show was limited, in fact, as several local business owners realized the potential that still lies on High Street and moved into stores that had been used as pop-ups for the 2022 show.

So many elements of the L’oe Show set it apart from any other event we’ve attended. But really what the show does best is showcase Pottstown as a once and still great community for car enthusiasts of all stripes.

L’OE SHOW 2023 PHOTO GALLERY