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Volkswagen SP2 - Sport do Brazil

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Created on February 22, 2021

Text:

Enrico Falchetto

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

2

Hardy Mutschler

38

Archiv

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Daniel Reinhard

2

Hardy Mutschler

38

Archiv

3

Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - a pity that it was not officially exported to Europe

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - independent rear end, only slightly reminiscent of the 911

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - who is more beautiful, the Alpine panorama or the sports car?

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - ran at around 160 km/h

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - 65 hp at 4600 rpm is quite enough for smooth locomotion

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - the airy boxer sound is something to think about

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - ... and turn in

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - rear engine and rear-wheel drive, not much understeer left in it

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - in the long run, you can hardly keep other sports cars of the time at bay with it

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - 161 cm wide

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - an honor for the VW badge

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - Coupé elegance from Brazil

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - sporty, despite Volkswagen genes

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - on the road

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - the characteristic red decorative stripes are reflective, which was probably a good excuse for not importing the car to Europe

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - 421 cm long

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - wheelbase 240 cm

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - flat and sportily dressed

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - at full speed

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - breezy on Alpine roads

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - with a height of 116 cm quite flat

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - the interior of the SP2 is sportier and more luxurious than was usual for VW at the time

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - the deeply cupped valance is striking. Gear knob, handbrake lever and heater control handles made of tropical wood, i.e. from local cultivation

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - almost completely instrumented, an oil pressure gauge is missing, the VDO instruments are adorned with a decorative chrome ring

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - for the SP2, the Brazilian Type 3 engine was bored out from 1600 to 1700 cubic meters, with slightly higher compression and larger carburettors

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - flat boxer four-cylinder engine in the rear

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - twin headlights generate more overtaking prestige

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - these shark lights with double eyes were also seen at VW in Europe, but there on the bland 412

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - elaborate wiper mechanism

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - Steel wheels and wheel trim rings

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - View to the rear

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - with characteristic side stripes

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - Cooling air for the air-cooled boxer

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - SP for Sao Paolo

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - the tailgate can only be unlocked from the inside, so that no outside handle interferes with the line. Underneath, a flat additional trunk and an equally flat engine await one level below

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - bent exhaust tailpipe

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - Fuel filler cap with lock

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Volkswagen SP 2 (1974) - Karmann was involved in its construction

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VW SP2 (1974) - International Edelweiss Mountain Prize Rossfeld 2018

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VW SP2 (1974) - International Edelweiss Mountain Prize Rossfeld 2018

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VW SP 2 (1972) - new model from Brazil, shown here with the rims of the SP 1 due to supply problems

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VW SP 2 (1972) - sporty elegance from Brazil

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Summary

If you only think of the Bulli when you think of Volkswagen and Samba, you probably don't remember the pretty coupé child from the German-Brazilian VW marriage. These affordable sports cars were never officially offered in Europe, but some did make it across the Atlantic. This report shows one of the few VW SP2s on the road in this country and tells its story.

This article contains the following chapters

A passion project
German competitor at home
Support from Karmann
No Porsche performance subsidy
Fine and neat
At the wheel
And this is what the otherhad to say
Too bad

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Listen, where can you find something like this? In the motherland, cruciform VWs rattle off the production line, and suddenly someone from Brazil comes along and shows the local gentlemen what can be conjured up from a Beetle. Rudolf Leiding explains from the distance of years why the SP2 never made it to Europe. The trained car mechanic took over the helm at Volkswagen do Brasil in 1968 and increased production by 50 percent within three years. His favorite project, of course, was dedicated to his great love. Leiding launched "Project X" in 1970: a low-cost sports car was to take the claw off the "Puma" - this Brazilian big cat had been driving since 1967 with a handsome GRP body on a large-series floor assembly from VW.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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