After WWII left wide swaths of Europe in tatters, a certain young man despaired of finding opportunity in his homeland of Italy. He decamped for Brazil. His name was Ottorino Bianco and he was only in his twenties. A few false starts in banking and as a laborer gave way to an apprenticeship in a mechanic’s workshop, where he found his niche. He was instrumental in the creation of Brazil’s first Formula 3 car, and for a time assembled the Fúria GT, a roadgoing Alfa-based car made in minuscule numbers. At the time, the Volkswagen Beetle was being manufactured in Brazil for the South American market, so Beetle chassis and drivetrains were plentiful; best of all, goosing their performance with aftermarket parts was easy. Bianco founded his own firm in the 1970s to capitalize on his ideas around making a sports car for Brazil, based on the Beetle. He made three models from 1976 to 1979, before selling his company. The Bianco S was the most successful, with an estimated 200 to 400 produced. Our subject car was minted in 1977, and it is advertised here on facebook Marketplace as well as in Hemmings. The price is $27,000, and the car is located with a dealer in Winter Garden, Florida. We have Barn Finder PairsNPaint to thank for this tip!
Despite performance upgrades offered by aftermarket suppliers, Toni Bianco equipped his S with a bone-stock, run-of-the-mill, air-cooled VW 1600 cc flat four, breathing through two carburetors and making about 65 hp. The gearbox is the Beetle’s four-speed manual. While the powerplant might not synch with the swoopy fiberglass bodywork, it made the Bianco as competitive as any other Brazilian-made automobile – many of which were also VW-based. This example is said to run well.
The interior is replete with plastic – typical of the era. A decent gauge set is housed in a deep recess right in front of the driver. This steering wheel is faded – it can probably be brought back to life with a decent dye job. It’s a long reach to that gearshift, though the handbrake is… well, handy. The seats neglect to cradle the occupants, with a flat configuration that isn’t particularly sporting. But this little craft is probably a bit shy on G-forces, so not to worry. I couldn’t find any driving tests, but one reviewer mentioned that the cockpit is profoundly claustrophobic.
I didn’t know a thing about the Bianco S before researching it for this article. My (long) “short list” contains an early Puma (also Brazilian), but I could see springing for this car instead, largely because in ten years of looking, I haven’t run across a single nice early Puma anywhere. Passing up this Bianco will probably mean I won’t see another example of this make for ten years either. In fact, the only comparable sale I could find was nine years ago, at RM Sotheby’s, where this 1979 sold for just shy of $25k. If I owned this car, I’d probably hunt for more power and better brakes; what would you do with it?
Sweet.
Wilwood VW discs, maybe build a 1600 into a 2.3 or get crazy and drop in an STi, but keep the original parts.
Another day started with a BF education-thank you, Michelle.
STi, I like it. It may be hard to get in and out of but once inside? It doesn’t look claustrophobic. Unless you mean staring up at the bumpers on the truck ahead.
Nice find, nice lines (for a VW conversion). Since the engine is behind the back axle, I would caution against adding any weight back there. I have to wonder why the battery is (still) sitting in the back corner? I suspect that this car is light enough that doubling the HP of the flat four would yield plenty of fun.
Looks like the kit is based off of the 412 chassis by the looks of the headlights and the engine cooling tin.
Sheep in wolf’s clothing…
The quarter windows give it a weird 63 Vette vibe. Good looking car other than that.
“The Durango Ninety-Five purred along real horrorshow….”
(Yes I know that was an Adams Probe 16, but this gives me the same vibe.)
Looks great!! Just looking at those seats my back hurts. $27k is a bit pricey for a VW.
I wonder how often the owner gets asked if it’s a Ferrari Dino.
Bump the motor up to a 1776 and, with those twin carbs, it will be a really fun car to drive.I like it..a lot and wonder if you could easily register it in Ca as a VW..such a shame its not a smog exempt 75..Big fan of some of these VW based sports cars..NOT replica Speedsters with P badges on them!
Don’t mess around. Drop a Porsche 3.8 in say your prayers and buckle up.
I see styling cues from the Opel gt.
Nice write up, Michelle. Thanks for providing the background on this little bug!
27k for a vw with 4 speed and no brakes !!
Good luck to seller and good luck to buyer , who has more money than brains …
YOLO
On January 08, 2025, he turned 94.
A master.
The exterior is lovely.
Id drop in a custom 2500 engine, better brakes and coil overs for better handling and to allow the car to live up to its looks. Or if cheaper drop in a porsche 911 engine and then all the other stuff.
Or better, save yourself the time ,money and aggravation , buy a 911 and enjoy cause the amount of time and money needed to polish this turd will cost more than the 911 and yield less return
YOLO
The front reminds me of a Fiat Dino Spider and the sides have a bit of OpelGT as stated.Overall I think its a great design..I would love to have it but tat would mean seeling one my other cars!!
It has the swoopy front lines and entry doors similar to that of the Chaparral 2d!