Quote:
Originally Posted by Otto
Is that a Brazilian fiberglass kit car?
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IIRC, not a kit. The Puma was a factory rebody, a native Brazilian project. Brazil's economy was closed to foreign-built vehicles, so the only vehicles for sale were those built locally. That left only VW and I think GM and AMC? Not sure about that last one, that might have been Mexico.
Anyway, Puma used VW chassis but built their own stylish fiberglass bodies to go over the mechanicals. They offered a few different things including a larger coupe with a Chevy six-pot mill under the hood, the usual VW aircooled four-banger out back, and I'm not sure what else. I've heard mention of a truck but never thought to go look at it.
(pause) Okay, I went to look at it. It resembles a contemporary VW medium-duty cabover. No big deal.
So while it isn't precisely factory - Puma didn't do the mechanicals or running gear - it isn't a kit either. The fit and finish were better than your typical backyard mechanic (that said, I've seen some gloriously detailed kit cars) and there was plenty of aftermarket support. And like I said, of the assorted things that have been draped over VW underpinnings, this one is nicely proportioned and looks good from most angles.