Long-term: Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life 1.6TDI

In these days of social media to excess, it should come as no surprise there is a forum for the VW Caddy.

Exclusively popular with owners of the van version rather than the MPV, you find some interesting posts on there.

Among the expected complaints and requests on maintenance and parts was one from someone who was ‘pimping their ride’.

A window sticker of his whitewall tyred Caddy reads: “I noticed that you’re gangster. I’m pretty gangster myself.”

Now, I’m not going to suggest this is common behaviour, but the features of the Caddy can inspire some moments of extreme positive feeling, particularly when it comes to its load carrying capability.

I’ve touched on in a previous report its ability to carry seven people (and a tortoise) in comfort, but now it’s been carrying plain stuff.

A month’s grocery shopping ‘disappears’ nicely and a bicycle in need of a trip to a repairer slid in neatly over the top of the flattened rear seats.

The height of the Caddy comes in as an unexpected bonus in such an instance as you have plenty of manoeuvre room in the side door and from the rear.

One quirk for a vehicle with such a strong USP around storage was the lack of a glove box. The Caddy just has a shelf.

I can forgive the oversight though and when wanting to hide electronic goodies well-and-truly out of the way use the sliding tray under the driver seat.

So, as a man basking in the afterglow of being able to complete manly household tasks, it is perhaps not surprising Volkswagen is acknowledging 30 years of the Caddy.

At Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this month it revealed the Caddy Edition 30 special edition to celebrate 1.5 million units sold.

It has a gloss black roof and roof railing, polished 17-inch alloy wheels, sliding door, rear and door sill signatures, Alcantara upholstery, leather-trimmed gear stick and handbrake, tinted windows and Climatic climate control.

The forum user with his ‘gangster’ sticker and homemade modifications (laminate flooring in the boot) appears to have been an unwitting trendsetter for the Caddy range.