The Baja Bug is a Hot Wheels casting based on the Volkswagen Beetle that was designed for Mattel by Larry Wood. The casting debuted in the 1984 Real Riders Series. Why "Baja"? Well, the Baja California Peninsula in northwest Mexico is home to the Mexican 1000 off-road race. The Baja Bugs were developed in the late 1960s as a homemade alternative to the fiberglass-bodied Meyers Manx beach buggies of the era that excelled in the sandy, hilly terrain. To make a Baja Bug, you take a stock VW Beetle, chopped off the front and back portions of the car at an angle, add fill-in panels, oversized trim and fenders, tune the exposed engine and put on a set of wide balloon or paddle-tread tires.
This casting has also gone by the name VW Baja, VW-Käfer Spezial, Baja Beetle, Volkswagen Baja Bug and Volkswagen Baja Beetle. "Blazin' Bug" was featured on the doors from 1985 to 1990 while "Bug'n Taxi" was featured on the doors in 1998.