Just a few weeks ago, I learned what a L’Automobile Ventura was for the very first time. It took me by surprise as you generally assume after a few decades of being a car enthusiast, you’ve seen everything. This is especially the case for someone who grew up on a steady diet of Volkswagens, so to discover the Brazilian-made, VW-based kit car was a bit of a shock. You can read the story about the first one we found here, and then be sure to check out yet another example here on Facebook Marketplace where the seller wants just $250.
$250 doesn’t buy you much of anything these days, but I’m guessing the seller is recognizing that the likelihood of finding someone who wants to restore such an obscure car is slim to none. The L’Automobile Distribuidora de Veículos Ltda. of Brazil was the manufacturer of the Ventura, and a U.S.-based importer handled bringing them stateside. I would assume that finding this rough project car means the company responsible for importing these oddball sports coupes did a better job than we originally thought at finding buyers at the time.
While you may get a set of taillights, good luck finding the distinctive nose panel. This here is the kind of thing that will consume hours of your life, if not actual months and years, when you set about finding an original front section and corresponding headlights sitting in a dusty warehouse in Brazil. Since this car doesn’t appear to have been wrecked, I’m genuinely curious as to why it was removed. It’s not like you could slap it onto a Fox body or something. There are no photos of the interior, but those were fairly basic cockpits that should be easy to source parts for if need be.
A VW-derived 1.6L engine was the typical choice for a Ventura like this, so don’t fret that you don’t get a motor for your $250 investment. The rear suspension is missing, which likely went bye-bye when the engine was removed. These Venturas are better looking than you might expect when finished, especially with a set of period-correct turbine-style wheels. This car likely has a fascinating backstory, but I doubt you’re going to find out much from a seller that seemingly pulled it out of a wrecking yard before deciding to o sell it. Would you restore this rare – but odd – classic?
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