Volkswagen Concept: Jiu Jitsu

Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the early 1990s, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championships. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using leverage and proper technique.

in 1970, Volkswagen of Brazil’s president, Rudolf Leiding, wanted to create a “People’s Car” with the Brazilian market in mind. He envisioned the car to have the Beetle’s reputation of practicality, reliability, and economy. He also wanted the car to have a Brazilian flair!  Using the Volswagen’s german-engineering, the air-cooled Volkswagen Brazilia was a successful model, with a good reputation of reliability and extremely popular throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s in its time of production. The Brazilia, despite its Type 1 underpinnings, was perceived as a modern looking urban car.

To add more flair to the Brazilia, what if the designers offered a fastback model? Echoing the Type3 Fatsback, the Volkswagen Concept: Jiu Jitsu strikes a handsome profile while maintaining it’s practicality.

This particular example is updated with 18-inch EMPI 8-spoke replica rims and Potenza rubber. A front and rear spoiler adds aerodynamic downforce at speed. Power comes from a dual Weber-34 fed 1835cc Type1 engine while the exhausts are blown through a 1 1/2 inch merged header with dual quiet-pack mufflers.

Of course, the car is bathed in Brazil’s colors of Green and Yellow.

 G O A L ! ! !