Volkswagen SP2

The Volkswagen SP2 is a sports car that was developed by Volkswagen do Brasil and built from July 1972 until December 1975. It is based on the chassis of the Brazilian market Volkswagen Type 3. "SP" is said to be an initialism of São Paulo, where the car was built, or of "Sports Prototype". In its issue of 20 June 1973, German technology magazine Hobby called the SP2 the "most beautiful Volkswagen in the world." History Beginning in August 1952, as part of efforts to spur development of an indigenous automobile industry, Brazil began enacting a series of progressively more restrictive laws that effectively closed their market to imports. The domestic manufacturers were usually divisions of larger multinational firms, and offered little in the way of sportscars, leaving local independent carmakers to fill the gap. Brazilian sportscars before the SP2 From 1962 to 1966, the local division of Willys-Overland Motors produced a version of the Alpine A108 called the Willys Interlagos. In 1963, Italian immigrant Genaro "Rino" Malzoni unveiled his DKW GT Malzoni. In 1964, Malzoni became one of the founders of Sociedade de Automóveis Lumimari Ltda, dedicated to building increasingly refined versions of his namesake car. In 1966, the company changed its name to Puma Veículos e Motores Ltda, and unveiled their debut model, the Puma GT. While the earliest Puma GTs were powered by three cylinder, two-stroke DKW engines, Malzoni redesigned the car to use Volkswagen components when DKW announced their withdrawal from the Brazilian market. Puma went on to become Brazil's most well-known sportscar builder. From 1964 to 1966, Brazilian truck builder Brasinca built the 4200 GT, with an all-steel body and power from an inline six-cylinder Chevrolet engine. In 1966, Fábrica Nacional de Motores (FNM) released the FNM Onça, a two-door coupé based on the mechanicals of the Alfa Romeo 2000 sedan designed and built by Malzoni and his company Lumimari. The car had a GRP body styled by designer Anísio Campos that resembled the 1964½–1966 Ford Mustang. Few were built. In 1968 the Adamo first appeared on a motorshow stand. Various models were built over the course of several years, with production tapering off until finally ending in 1990. Also in 1968 the Volkswagen-based Lorena GT was launched.