The Ultimate Volkswagen Beetle Book Launch: Vochos Unidos + Cinco de Mayo Party in L.A.
An image from the photobook Vochos Unidos by Rodrigo Gaya Villar, available now.
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo & The Launch of Vochos Unidos at Vintage Motor Union
Are you searching for the definitive Volkswagen Beetle book? Or the next must-have addition to your collection of automotive photography coffee table books? Look no further.
Carrara Media invites you to the official release party for Vochos Unidos—a premium exploration of air-cooled culture and Mexican heritage. Join us for a high-octane Cinco de Mayo celebration at Vintage Motor Union in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 3rd, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Whether you are a lifelong Beetle fanatic (aka a vochero), a photography lover, or simply looking for the best Cinco de Mayo vibe in the city, this event is for you.
Why Vochos Unidos is the Year’s Best Automotive Photography Coffee Table Book
In the world of car culture books, Vochos Unidos stands alone. This isn't just a manual; it is an automotive travelogue that explores an entire country and its people, and a vibrant archive of the "People’s Car." Captured through the lens of acclaimed Miami-based photographer Rodrigo Gaya Villar, the book displays the joy, resilience and artistic expression prevalent within the Vocho community.
Whether you are a collector of fine art car books or a VW enthusiast, this title offers unparalleled value:
Standard Edition ($54.99): A hardcover, 300-page curated journey through Mexico and its rich Volkswagen community. Available to pair with unique Leen Customs pin for addition $15.
Limited Edition ($124.99): An ultra-premium collectible car book featuring a decorative slipcase, autograph from the author and exclusive Leen Customs pin.
The automotive coffee table book Vochos Unidos by Rodrigo Gaya Villar with Limited Edition slipcase.
The automotive coffee table book Vochos Unidos by Rodrigo Gaya Villar.
Event Highlights: Meet the Makers
The Cinco de Mayo event in Los Angeles is free, open to the public, and requires no RSVP.
Author Signing: Meet Rodrigo Gaya Villar and have your copy of the most anticipated Volkswagen Beetle book of 2026 personalized.
Leen Customs Partnership: We are joined by car culture legends Leen Customs, who will debut two exclusive limited-edition enamel pins modeled after iconic vehicles featured in the book.
Authentic Celebration: Experience a full immersion into the culture with a local taco truck, live mariachi music, and Mexican folklore dancers.
New Blog: 5 Vochos that Represent Mexico’s VW Beetle Culture
Join the "Vocho" Roll-In
We encourage all air-cooled owners to bring their VW Beetles and park with us! This is a book launch that doubles as a gathering of the Vocho community.
Event Details:
Topic:Vochos Unidos Book Launch & Cinco de Mayo Party
Location: Vintage Motor Union, 611 S Anderson Street, Los Angeles 90023
Date: Sunday, May 3rd, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Admission: Free | No RSVP Required
Why is Vintage Motor Union the Perfect Partner?
Vintage Motor Union in Los Angeles has become a car culture hub for local enthusiasts. Located in Boyle Heights as part of the L.A. Car District that also includes Leen Customs and the BigTime content channel, Vintage Motor Union focuses on fostering community and culture.
We’ve covered VMU (formerly Vintage Japanese Motor Union) in our weekly newsletter Race Day. You can read our introductory article about Vintage Motor Union and founder Savant Young, or find our coverage of their 2025 Black History Month event.
Note: This item is in preorder. Shipping begins during the week of April 27th.
In this captivating bilingual photobook, one photographer spends five years exploring the streets of Mexico City and its surrounding mountain towns on the hunt for El Vocho — the Spanish term of endearment for the iconic Volkswagen Beetle. Vochos, and the vocheros who preserve them, become the pathway for Rodrigo Gaya Villar to rediscover his ancestral home country.
Along his travels, Gaya learns how the 60-year old German automobile reshaped Mexico's trajectory with easy, affordable transportation. Now it fuels a passionate community of vocheros who encapsulate its enduring spirit, and embrace its role in shaping contemporary Mexican identity.
Over 300 pages, Gaya's debut collection Vochos Unidos introduces the reader to vibrant people and locations that place the full Mexico experience on display. Through moments of triumph and heartbreak, laughter and despair, pride and humility, Vochos Unidos chases the Beetle across a culture and landscape as diverse as any in the world. We become attuned to the spirit of the Vocho, and the adopted homeland that celebrates it.
Designed and printed in Mexico.
ISBN: 979-8-9916226-9-1
Note: This item is in preorder. Shipping begins during the week of April 27th.
Releasing in April 2026, Vochos Unidos | Limited Edition is an exclusive version of the debut collection from Rodrigo Gaya Villar, with production capped at 500 copies. Only available from CarraraBooks.com.
Compared with the standard edition, each copy of the Limited Edition:
is signed by the author;
comes with a protective slipcase;
includes a Leen Customs enamel pin available only with purchase of the Limited Edition.
In this captivating bilingual photobook, one photographer spends five years exploring the streets of Mexico City and its surrounding mountain towns on the hunt for El Vocho — the Spanish term of endearment for the iconic Volkswagen Beetle. Vochos, and the vocheros who preserve them, become the pathway for Rodrigo Gaya Villar to rediscover his ancestral home country.
Along his travels, Gaya learns how the 60-year old German automobile reshaped Mexico's trajectory with easy, affordable transportation. Now it fuels a passionate community of vocheros who encapsulate its enduring spirit, and embrace its role in shaping contemporary Mexican identity.
Over 300 pages, Gaya's debut collection Vochos Unidos introduces the reader to vibrant people and locations that place the full Mexico experience on display. Through moments of triumph and heartbreak, laughter and despair, pride and humility, Vochos Unidos chases the Beetle across a culture and landscape as diverse as any in the world. We become attuned to the spirit of the Vocho, and the adopted homeland that celebrates it.
Designed and printed in Mexico.
ISBN: 978-1-9712710-0-2
To read a Q&A with Rodrigo Gaya Villar about Vochos Unidos, click here.
Praise for Vochos Unidos:
"We are willing and enchanted passengers on his visual road trip through not only Mexico, but the unstoppable human spirit." — Patrick Farrell, Pulitzer Prize Winner for Breaking News Photography, 2009.
"It's not always about the car, which makes Vochos Unidos so warm and relatable." — Larry Chen, author of Life At Shutter Speed.
"Far more than a book of automotive photography, Vochos Unidos is a gorgeously affectionate portrait of both the Beetle and Mexico." — Victoria Scott, author of We Deserve This.
"Across hundreds of beautiful photographs of this automotive icon, Vochos Unidos depicts humanity itself." — Kevin McCauley, author of Waiting for the Sun to Come Down.
"Vochos Unidos is a visually poetic love letter to his homeland and its favorite, adopted child." — Oliver Wang, author of Cruising J-Town and Professor of Sociology at California State University, Long Beach.
Looking for the best gifts for car lovers? Carrara Media specializes in high-quality, attainable automotive journalism and premium photography books for the modern enthusiast.