Brazil was one of the last domains of the Volkswagen Beetle and way back in 1970 the Brazilian President challenged VW to build a replacement for the beloved, but long in the tooth Beetle, specifically with the Brazilian market in mind. 

Unveiled in 1973 the Brasilia was powered by an air-cooled 1600cc flat four. The underpinnings were straight from the Karmann Ghia with some design cues lifted from the VW 412. Made in quite large numbers the Brasilia saw service all over South America but never saw the UK, until now. Rumour has it that an eager gentleman from the motoring press tried to get a sneak peek at the development model at a secret location and was shot at! Don’t worry, you’re quite safe looking at this one...

Being such a rare sight over here, you can expect to be asked ‘What is it?’ on pretty regular basis. Being built on the engineering of the Beetle and the Karmann Ghia service and maintenance parts are not going to be a major issue. The shark nose is very striking and the VW DNA runs very deep as you can see hints of the Golf and Polo that were yet to surface when this car was penned. 

This example was imported by a Volkswagen enthusiast in 2020, and by mid-2021, it was road registered for use in the UK. This example has been sympathetically modernised several years before being imported with the addition of a red vinyl interior including seats and dashboard, and a stainless fuel tank. There’s a sleek black paint-job which looks in good order overall, while a set of BBS alloys with low-profile tyres sets off the look.

This surely represents an unmissable opportunity for air-cooled VW enthusiasts. When did you last see one of these in the UK?!

The bodywork does appear to be in generally good condition without any apparent corrosion of signs of accident damage.

We're advised that there is some damage to the passenger side outer sill but the floor has not been affected. The stainless bumpers offer a great contrast to the black body as do the BBS alloy wheels that show no visible damage

The seats are resplendent in a bright red vinyl and are finished to a good standard. The dashboard has also been covered in the same material and works really well with the seats.  There’s a set of modern instruments to complete the ensemble. The three spoked steering wheel with Porsche emblem is a nice touch and fits in nicely with the rest of the interior.

The engine runs sweetly and has benefitted from a carburettor swap with an automatic choke. We're informed that the Brasilia drives very well, with no apparent issues to report. As its mechanicals are shared with the ubiquitous Beetle, spares and expertise are readily available the world over - despite this particular model's rarity outside Brazil

There is no written history currently available from its time in Brazil, but there are certainly no signs of neglect.

BEFORE YOU BUY 

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