EMPI Tire and Wheel

About EMPI: A Legacy of Engineered Performance

EMPI — short for Engineered Motor Products Incorporated — is one of the most storied names in the Volkswagen aftermarket world. Founded in 1956 by Joe Vittone in Riverside, California, the brand grew out of a simple but powerful idea: that VW owners deserved better parts than what the factory offered. Running the Economotors Volkswagen dealership at the time, Vittone had customers coming in with cylinder head problems, and rather than discard the complete cylinder head as per Volkswagen's instructions, he decided to engineer his own valve guides to solve the design fault — saving VW owners a fortune.

EMPI rebranded its acronym to "Engineered Motor Products Incorporated" in late 1962 to better reflect its commitment to the considered design and manufacture of VW parts. That dedication to quality and innovation propelled the brand through decades of growth. EMPI continued to grow, acquiring Mr. Bug, Race-Trim, and BugPack, and its fan base grew as well, with EMPI becoming the #1 supplier of performance parts for Volkswagen Beetles even after Volkswagen discontinued the model in 1979.

What EMPI Makes Today

EMPI has become the leading supplier of top-branded parts, tools, and accessories for air-cooled and water-cooled Volkswagens, as well as Porsche, with more than 1,000 dealers and distributors worldwide. The catalog today spans everything from driveline components and electrical systems to body parts, brakes, cooling, fuel systems, suspension, and performance upgrades for both street and off-road use.

Among EMPI's most popular offerings are their CV joints, which cover a wide range of VW applications from air-cooled Type 1 and Type 2 platforms to the water-cooled Vanagon Syncro. EMPI's catalog features a complete line of CV joint boots, rack & pinion bellows, and associated components — each designed with application-specific fitment to ensure correct identification and installation. EMPI also carries window regulators for classic VW and Porsche models, keeping aging mechanisms functioning reliably. For the workshop, their engine stands and shop tools round out a comprehensive offering for the serious VW builder or restorer.

By bringing together elite manufacturers such as JayCee, BugPack, 034MotorSport, Race-Trim, and Treuhaft to partner with EMPI, the EMPI brand has become the pinnacle when it comes to quality and thoughtfully designed auto parts. EMPI has also been appointed as the Master Distributor for JP Group Automotive, the premiere manufacturer for classic Porsche parts and VW Vanagon parts manufactured in Denmark.

Why Enthusiasts Trust EMPI

EMPI's office and warehouse space is over 300,000 sq ft, with product inventory of over 50,000 parts for VWs and other vehicle accessories. EMPI maintains the highest inventory levels (98%) in the industry to service and support dealers and customers. Whether you're restoring a numbers-matching Beetle, building a performance dune buggy, or maintaining a daily-driven Golf, EMPI's depth of catalog and long-standing reputation in the VW community make it a first-call resource for enthusiasts and professional mechanics alike.