Despite Volkswagens maintaining a consistent identity as an economy car for the masses, more than one company in Brazil set out to change that perception with sporting kit cars built on a Type 3 floorpan. While most of us have heard of the Puma, this time, we go a bit farther down the weirdness chart to take a look at an even more obscure model known as a L’Automobile Ventura. The seller lists it as a 1968 model, but I believe these were sold between 1978 and the early 90s as a kit for customers in the U.S. Regardless, they are extremely rare to see today, with the seller claiming it is one of less than a half-dozen in North America. Find the Ventura here on craigslist in Vancouver with an asking price of $8,500.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ron for the find. The Ventura used the familiar recipe of a sexy body over standard VW mechanicals, including a four-cylinder air-cooled engine mounted in the rear. The nose looks far more modern than you’d expect, but the history of the model indicates it was offered across several different model years, going into the early 90s – and pictures show the nose design changing more than once, likely to keep the unusual kit car in check with changing consumer preferences for headlamp and grill design. Based on other pictures on the internet, it seems likely that this is a 1989 model with those headlights.

The proportions aren’t bad, with the overall appearance – headlights notwithstanding – being fairly attractive. The same could be said for the Puma, so someone in Brazil was doing a bang-up job of making VW’s low-impact powerplants at least seem more impressive by being installed in sexy bodies like this. The big question to me is how this car ended up all the way out in Vancouver, especially since they were not big sellers when new. Typically, owners had to order the kits from Brazil, and some of them arrived largely assembled and just in need of a drivetrain. The company behind the design had some success building replica Alfa Romeos, and the Ventura was their attempt at making a unique model.

The lines truly aren’t bad, and archival photos show a range of headlight designs utilized, including several that are way more attractive than the quad sealed beams seen here. Finding a replacement set? Good luck with that. Fortunately, the drivetrain is straightforward to service, as is the chassis. I’d take the opportunity to build up the engine with some period performance parts, or swap it out entirely for a modern Subaru WRX powerplant. The bodywork looks respectable, which to me is the bigger deal to ensure is correct and all there given it’s likely next to impossible to find replacement panels from anywhere other than Brazil. Acting as almost a premonition to the coming Scirocco and Corrado, this oddball would be a labor of love to revive, but what a cool project to end up with.