The situation
Marcelo Vieira is crazy about tattoos. Proof of this are the more than twenty ink drawings that he shows all over his body, and of course, each one of them has very special meanings for him. From religious to tribal elements, passing through tributes to his loved ones or to his love club, Real Madrid. However, among all these tattoos, it is striking that the Brazilian soccer player has the Volkswagen logo stamped on his skin along with one of the most emblematic models of the German brand. But why does the former Real Madrid player wear a Volkswagen ‘Beetle’ on his right arm? It is one of the most special tattoos for him since it transports him directly to his roots in his native Brazil and to the figure of his grandfather Pedro, one of the most important people in his life. And it is that, with that vehicle, his grandfather took him to train every day. An orange car that even came to have its own name: the ‘fusquinha’. “It means a lot to me. Many things lived in it ”, recalls the footballer. The defender remembers the great sacrifices that Pedro made so that his grandson could fulfill his great dream of being a professional soccer player. He even drove several hours during the night so that little Marcelo from Rio de Janeiro could get to his training place on time, which was far from where they lived. Finally, all that effort paid off when his grandfather saw him make his debut with the Fluminense shirt in 2005. All this without imagining that his grandson would become a real Madrid legend years later.
The most emblematic model
The ‘Beetle’ is one of the most iconic models of the Volkswagen house. A car with its own name and known worldwide that was officially launched on the market on May 6, 1938. Its striking design with rounded shapes, circular headlights and its two doors delighted all motorsport fans. Rear-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a 4-cylinder 34 hp engine. In addition, it is the longest-running model of the German firm with almost eight decades of history. Stopped production in 2003.