RiveraNotario posted this shot of a Brazilian VW SP2 from probably its best angle. It looks like an expensive Italian exotic at first glance, but an air-cooled VW 1600 hiding underneath that seductive exterior. I’d rather forgotten about the SP2’s history, which turned out not to be very successful, as the other Brazilian VW-based sports car, the Puma, was lighter and had better performance.
So the SP2 had short life (1973-1976), and some 10k were built, which isn’t exactly shabby for a VW exotic.
Although most of its body had no design similarities to other VWs, it’s front end styling turned out to be a template for a number of VWs to come, in Germany and Brazil.
Now you know what I was referring to: that front end design was first used on the Puma, designed by Márcio Lima Piancastelli and José Vicente Novita Martins, and then found its way to the VW 412 as well as the Brasilia and the updated Brazilian 1600. It came to be known as “the Leiding face”.
The Puma was spearheaded by Rudolf Leiding, who was sent to Brazil in 1968 to perk up things there. And that he did, quite successfully so. He wanted a sports car, and he got it. The Puma sat on the Brazilian VW1600 platform, which was not the same as the German Type 3, and used a Beetle front suspension. Initially it had a 1700 cc boxer four with 65 hp, and there was also a 1600 with 54 hp, but that was discontinued before long.
The main issue with the SP2 was that it just wasn’t as quick as the Puma, due to being heavier (Our post on the Puma is here).
I have a couple Hot Wheels versions of these, and I’ve always been intrigued by their proportions – you’d never guess they were rear-engined cars.
That was my thought too – the proportions are those of a front-engine rear-drive sports coupe, and the hatchback furthers that impression. Then you walk around and see the 412 front end and realize you’ve been had.
The interiors in these also look worlds apart from anything remotely related to a Bug:
True, but those door handles, used in millions of VW’s for decades, give it away!
This does beg for Porsche engine.
I need the help of the car-spotting experts here. I was looking at a listing for a Siata Spring on ebay when I noticed a yellow car in the background I could not identify. It appears in two photographs. The first one shows the car’s roofline, and the other shows its front fender. The two seem unrelated, but the chrome beltline trim matches from one photo to the other.
The fender looks like a ’50’s Chevy truck, but it is not.
The yellow vehicle? Looks like something made in France.
61 Plymouth
Thank you! I thought the front fender looked like something Exner would do, but I also thought the greenhouse looked European. Maybe it was the ‘hoffmeister’ kink and the body color roof when most Belvedere’s had roofs painted to match the contrasting trim.
Not quite a Hoffmeister Kink, more of an Exner Klunk.
You can even make out “Belvedere” on the front wing.
sorry, rear wing of course
I love this. Glad to know it existed.
“(Our post on the Puma is here).’ – um, no, it’s not. 🙂 Forgot the link…..
One thing about CC, we have a great index.
Think it’s this – https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/double-cohort-sightings-vw-puma-the-cc-effect-is-at-work/
That’s cool, I like it. Except for the 411/412 front end that is. I see either/both early 911 and 240Z styling wise. And with a 911 look the rear engine works too. Now if they’d just have done something about that nose…
Another cool VW derivative I never heard of before .
-Nate
SP stands for Sao Paulo, in the city where it was created. I’m a type 4 nut, (411/412), so I rather like the front end. I believe the headlight bezels are the same as my ‘73 412 wagon. If that is the case maybe it was a cost saving measure on VW’s part when the 412’s front end was restyled for the ‘73 model year? The power certainly would have been better with a type 4 engine or dream with a flat six!