For those who have been living under a rock lately (and somehow have an Internet connection), the World Cup is happening in Brazil right now and it’s a very big deal. Brazil is famous for soccer and its giant statue of Jesus, but it hardly gets any credit for the cars it has produced. For a very long time, import cars were heavily taxed in Brazil, so a handful of local operations sprang up. These cars often won’t be found in other parts of the world, and it’s about time they were in the spotlight.
Volkswagen SP2
The Volkswagen SP2 has a 75 horsepower flat-four wrapped in a gorgeous body.
Supplied, Wikimedia
This very pretty two-seater is kind of like a Brazilian Porsche 912. The SP2 was fairly successful and over 10,000 were sold between 1972 and 1976. The SP2 is powered by a 75-horsepower 1.7-litre air-cooled VW flat four mounted at the rear of the car. This modest output lead people to jokingly say that “SP” stood for “Sem Potência,” which means “without power” in Portuguese. But the meagre power output can be easily remedied today with modern speed parts and the body looks absolutely striking against modern traffic. We want to import one!
Chevrolet Opala
The Chevrolet Opala had miniature muscle car looks and was based on the Opal Rekord.
Supplied, Wikimedia
Based off the Opel Rekord C and powered by various GM four and six-cylinder engines, the Opala was hugely popular in Brazil. The Opala looks like a scaled-down Chevelle and the available 4.1-litre straight six engine gave it muscular acceleration as well. The Opala was produced in a bewildering array of trim levels and body configurations into the ’90s but the initial generation is easily the prettiest.
TAC Stark
The TAC Stark has fully independent suspension and a 2.3 litre turbodiesel engine.
Supplied, Wikimedia
The TAC Stark is a Brazilian-made 4