2023-07-25 08:04:57
Hundreds of brightly colored vintage Volkswagen combis gathered on June 10 and 11 at the “VW Castle party” at the Château de Grillemont in La Chapelle-Blanche-Saint-Martin, near Loches (Indre-et-Loire). And Éric Ouvrard could not miss this unmissable event for owners of old Volkswagens, coming from 48 French departments and neighboring countries.
Since 2021, this 53-year-old former carpenter has converted his garage in Loury (Loiret) into a workshop for fitting out these famous vans, which invite you to travel and freedom. “I had already started on my free time. I took a liking to it. After the health crisis, I thought why not start my own business. We always come back to our first passion”, says this man from Pouzauges (Vendée), who discovered Volkswagen combis in 2011.
Eric Ouvrard furnishes the interior of old combis in his workshop in Loury (Loiret). LP/ Francois-Xavier Rivaud
“I was looking for a vehicle to go tinkering around right and left. Little by little, I met enthusiasts who showed me that it could be an art of living. He practiced his craft by pampering his own van, transforming its interior and designing all the wooden furniture using his manual skills. Since then, his company has become known on social networks, well beyond the circle of Loire Valley aficionados. Amateurs sometimes come from far away to make him work.
“I take the vehicle and return it all clean, almost new”
“A person from the Middle East contacted me recently. He took his vehicle to me a month ago. I’m going to tackle the interior fittings in July,” he says. Sometimes, he accepts complete restorations, including the bodywork, which he entrusts to a specialist, established not far from his home: “I take the vehicle and I return it all clean, almost new”. Éric Ouvrard even makes parts that manufacturers are no longer able to supply on the market, such as this bentwood tailgate hinge cover.
This community of combis owners gives him a lot of joy: “The gatherings are always festive. We invite each other. What I love above all is the encounter and the conviviality”. If by chance the enthusiasm for these old vans were to run out of steam, Éric Ouvrard would know how to adapt. Whatever happens, he will use his long experience in the building trades. “You never know what life may have in store for you,” he admits. For now, there is no lack of work.
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