I’m Running The Fall Overcrest Rally In A Volkswagen Brasilia, Ask Me Anything

For the first time in my short career, I’ve been invited to a car event that isn’t a travel mission but is instead near home here in Arkansas. That event is the 2024 Fall Overcrest Rally, and over the course of several days, the event will take me and my fellow rally drivers from Mountain View to Ozark. For those familiar with the state, that might seem strange, as the locations are barely three hours apart – assuming all you want to do is get from A to B as quickly as possible. On the other hand, if the objective is to enjoy some great driving, it makes perfect sense to find several days’ worth of seat time between two scenic places that are only 150 miles apart.

And just how did I get invited to this semi-exclusive event, you ask? Around a month ago, Matt asked if I’d be up for an adventure here in the state, and it turned out to be the Overcrest Rally. Hagerty is a primary sponsor of the event and invited us to come along. Since I already live here in The Natural State, it made perfect sense for me to be the one to go.

The fun kicks off next Wednesday. As I write, I know little about what’s to come beyond what I’ve written above. I’m not even sure where we’re staying each night. There’s one thing I do know though: I’ll be piloting a 1979 Volkswagen Brasilia.

I’d happily show up to the event knowing only that, but it can’t hurt to learn more before I pack my bags, so let’s see what I can learn here. Here’s how Overcrest describes itself:

Overcrest is more than just a rally, or podcast. We’re a production company built as a conduit to spread an idea. We seek to inspire others to use what we believe is the best tool for exploration and personal autonomy ever created. Through events, films, and spoken word we want everyone to explore the world around them. Take The Car.

An organization dedicated to people who love cars? I’m for it. Overcrest encourages people to drive their cars and to explore and discover the world through their cars.

At many if not most rally events, the drive route is relatively strict and time-constrained. That won’t be the case here. Instead, Overcrest is far more focused on letting drivers look around, find their own route, and enjoy what they find with only one real goal, arrive at the destination in time to enjoy the evening with the group.

According to Kris Clewell, the man who did the scouting for this trip and a main player at Overcrest Productions, “The whole experience is going to be slightly different than what we normally do, which is the cross-state trip. We’re going to be in this pocketed area.” As I said at the outset, the entire event takes place in a relatively small corner of Arkansas. Kris goes into depth about the scouting process in the Overcrest Podcast below.

Northwest Arkansas is well-known (in the state at least) for its beautiful roads and scenery. An old highway now dubbed the Pig Trail (because it leads to the University of Arkansas, home of the Razorbacks) is one of the big draws for cars and bikes in the area.

Here’s what the state says about the route:

The rugged and forested Boston Mountains region of the Arkansas Ozark Mountains provides the setting for the Pig Trail, which often runs through a tunnel of foliage during spring, summer and fall. Spring wildflowers and brilliant autumn foliage make the scenic route especially popular during those seasons of the year – whether you ride or drive. The route crosses the Mulberry River and the 165-mile Ozark Highlands Trail.

Now, let’s chat about the car, and before you ask, we did indeed pitch the idea of entering my epic Ford Flex Limited. Instead, though, I’ll be co-driving a 1979 Volkswagen Brasilia with Hagerty’s Jeremy Malcolm. He arranged for us to pilot this low-mileage Brasilia and is driving it from Dallas, Texas next week just for the event. That’ll be an interesting way to kick off the rally, but more on that shortly. First, what the heck is a Brasilia? That’s what I first asked when I was told about what we’d be driving.

The Volkswagen Brasilia is a three-door hatchback that was made for a specific country, and that country was – can you guess? – Brazil. Under the hood is a spare tire; if it’s the engine you’re looking for, you’ll find the Brasilia’s 1.6-liter air-cooled flat-four under the rear cargo area. The tampo do motor provides all the room of a mail slot, so hopefully I won’t need to fiddle with the 65-horsepower mill during the rally. Like all Volkswagens with rear-mounted flat-fours, the Brasilia is rear-wheel drive, so if I find the right section of super-loose gravel I just might be able to get the back end to kick out.

Interestingly, this particular Brasilia was sold on Bring A Trailer back in November of last year. It features a two-spoke steering wheel, VDO gauges, rubber floor mats, and quarter-vent windows. In what can only be described as perfect The Autopian spec, the vinyl and cloth interior is rendered in shades of caramel and chocolate brown. What you will not find among the few knobs and dials on the dash is anything labeled Air Conditioning, but at least the Brasilia has those wonderful pizza-slice vent windows between the A-pillars and window glass that can be turned nearly 180 degrees to capture airflow and blast it into your chest at the same velocity as whatever the speedometer is indicating.

Now, what else can I tell you about The Overcrest Rally, ahead of the event or along the way? Keep an eye on The Autopian and our socials as I’ll be providing color on the process, route, and vibes – plus plenty of notes on the Brasilia experience, I’m sure. What would you like to know? Hit me in the comments.

Images: Volkswagen, Bring A Trailer