The influence of the BAJA1000 is not limited to North America. Johannes Krug, a Germany-based automotive engineer, is one of those inspired by this “world’s toughest” off-road race. His beloved car, a 1967 Volkswagen Type 1, is a highly refined example of “BAJA STYLE,” having been exhibited at the Essen Motor Show and SEMA Show.

The Gulf livery is one of the most iconic color schemes in the world of motorsports. This distinctive design, featuring sky blue and orange as its primary colors, was applied to vehicles sponsored by the oil company Gulf Oil, and dominated the scene in the 1960s and 1970s. Notably, the Ford GT40 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 and 1969, as well as the Porsche 917 featured in Steve McQueen’s film Le Mans, are known for having generated a huge fan base for the Gulf livery.

Johannes Krug, the German automotive engineer, is also one such fan of the Gulf livery.
However, it wasn’t just the coloring that moved his heart. The BAJA1000, held on the other side of the world, also captivated him and led to the creation of his “Baja Bug” based on the 1967 Volkswagen Type 1.

This car, which has been carefully built over about 20 years by Johannes and his father in their garage, was originally a nearly scrapped vehicle due to multiple accidents. Initially, it had been acquired as a donor car for parts to be used on his sister’s Type 1.

Eventually, however, it was not used for parts, but instead meticulously restored by Johannes. It was ultimately completed as a demo car for the supercharger kit he designed himself.

The chassis comes from a Type 181, known from vehicles like the Kübelwagen and Iltis, onto which the Type 1 body was mounted.
He thoroughly reworked the front axle, rear suspension, and brakes, and also equipped the car with rack and pinion steering and adjustable shock absorbers. Steel wheels with off-road tires were fitted, sized 195/80R15 at the front and 31×10.5R15 at the rear.

After completion, the car was entered into the Hot Wheels Legends Tour held in Germany in 2019, where it won the grand prize. It has since been exhibited at numerous car shows including the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and Essen Motor Show in Germany, drawing much attention.

Moreover, this success caught the eye of American film director Michael Squire, leading to the car’s appearance in the documentary film The Baja Bug Movie.
This vehicle is, quite literally, the most globally famous Baja Bug.

PHOTO｜Johannes Klug
TEXT｜Kazutoshi AKimoto 秋元一利
PUBLISHED｜2025
SOURCE｜Cal Vol.62
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