The First Baja Bug Was Totaled. Rod Emory Recreated It for His Dad | Jay Leno's Garage

Around 1966, Gary Emory traded a motorcycle for a wrecked '57 oval window Beetle. With his father running the body shop at Chick Iverson VW Porsche and his brother Don on paint, he finished the very first Baja Bug in 1967, and started a movement that turned countless Beetles into off-roaders. The original was later totaled. After Gary passed away in August 2025, his son Rod Emory and the family finished a tribute, with Uncle Don, now 80, painting it the same chrome yellow he used in 1967. Rod walks Jay through how the Baja Bug got its name and how Meyers Manx fiberglass man Drino Miller turned the idea into the first kit. This tribute runs the independent rear suspension and bigger engine Gary said he'd use if he did it again: a roughly 190-hp 2650cc Type 4 out of one of Rod's Outlaws. Plus a '74 Super Beetle Baja from the @AudrainMuseumNetwork and a run through the dirt. Shop car care and detailing supplies from Jay Leno’s Garage: https://www.lenosgarage.com/shine » Subscribe: http://bit.ly/JLGSubscribe THE BEST OF JAY LENO'S GARAGE » Exclusive First Looks: http://bit.ly/JLGExclusives » Ultra Rare Supercars: http://bit.ly/JLGSupercars » Jay's Book Club: http://bit.ly/JLGBookClub JAY LENO'S GARAGE ON SOCIAL Facebook: http://facebook.com/JayLenosGarage Twitter: http://twitter.com/LenosGarage Instagram: http://instagram.com/jaylenosgarage/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaylenosgarageofficial ABOUT JAY LENO'S GARAGE A new video every Monday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.