It would take a keen eye for most Americans to identify this two-door as a VW. This 1979 Volkswagen Brasília in Currie, North Carolina began life in the South American nation of Brazil as a replacement for the popular Beetle (called Fusca there). Check out slightly more information in a half-hearted listing on Facebook Marketplace. Highlights include “No Motor” and “No Title.” The $3800 asking price buys an affordable entry-level classic that few enthusiasts north of Mexico have seen.
The front resembles VW’s Type 4, though by 1979, North-American customers got the Pennsylvania-built Rabbit. A passel of other VWs in the background makes one wonder why a random flat-four could not be supplied if, for instance, the seller removed a higher-performance mill from this ride.
Foreign plates and a trumpet exhaust suggests off-road use only, in keeping with the “no title” theme, though perhaps “no motor” implies the calve-burners do not convey with the sale. The Karmann Ghia chassis and hatchback design offer more room for cargo and passengers than the outgoing classic Beetle. Thanks to Wikipedia for some details. A Benco Transaxle described in the listing suggests someone dropped some cash on this ride before casting it to the Internet winds.
Interior and engine compartment pictures escaped the listing, so check out the other side! The stock engine would have been an air-cooled 1.6L (98 cid) flat four (two sets of two cylinders operating horizontally 180 degrees apart) making 65 HP according to HotCarsBrazil. While the 23-second 0-60 time won’t stand a chance against your buddy’s Mom’s minivan, the 33 MPG compares reasonably with today’s economy cars. Flat-four engines, though uncommon, power many modern Subarus, albeit with liquid cooling. Advantages of the flat four include a low center of gravity. After languishing on Marketplace for over 30 weeks, the Brasília might be had for less than asking. What would you pay to show off this South-American VW at Cars & Coffee?
It’s cool
I’d lose the ponytail immediately, but the rest is muito bom.
Kind of cool, but not I want it cool, I predict a Subie transplant for it’s future.
The exhaust is so stupid.
This is a brilliant design. My brother-in-law has one that his father bought new.
The beloved “Fusca” was being slaughtered by Chevrolet’s modern Chevette (which is a much more attractive car than the North American penalty box). Using a modified Karmann Ghia platform dispensed with the antiquated running boards of the Beetle, pushing out the sides, and creating a much wider, roomier passenger compartment, including a real back seat. The trunk was much larger than the Beetle’s and the hatchback roof gave it additional space for luggage, etc.
Using the proven engine/platform made it inexpensive to create. The styling echoes the VW 412, with its Brook Stevens designed headlights.
It sold more than a million units from 1973 to 1982, and it was exported throughout Latin America. Some cars were sent as “kits” to Nigeria and sold there, and some were sold in Spain and Portugal as well.