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. 

Rumour has it that an eager chap 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.

Our owner being a Brazilian is a big fan of the home built VWs and he has imported a few Brazilian Split Screen campers. While discussing his latest import his friend asked him if the UK may be interested in the Brasilia? This one in fact. Well, why not? So, the owner brought this one over in 2020 and by mid- 2021 it was registered for use in the UK. 

It has been sympathetically modernised several years before being imported with the addition of a red vinyl interior including seats and dash, and a stainless fuel tank. There’s a black paint-job which could do with a cut-back and polish in places. A set of BBS alloys with low-profile tyres sets off the look. 

Once in the UK the owner has replaced the carburettor and improved the fuel feed and benefits from an automatic choke. 

There’s no previous history from Brazil but the car does have the UK V5 and as it is of a 1976 vintage, there is no requirement for an MOT

The seats are resplendent in a bright red vinyl and are finished to a good finish. The dashboard has also been covered in the same material although not finished to quite the same high standard but it does work so well with the seats. 

There’s a set of modern clocks to set it all off. The mileage shows a mere 1475 which is obviously less than the car has covered. The three spoked steering wheel with Porsche emblem is a nice touch and fits in nicely with the rest of the interior albeit all sited on the left-hand side. 

Although there is no documented mileage available the engine sounds sweet and fires up straight off the key.

The bodywork does appear to be in generally good condition without any apparent rust. The general finish is good but does require mopping to let it shine fully. 

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 engine runs sweetly and has benefitted from a carburettor swap with an automatic choke. The gear selection is a little fiddly but as it is the same mechanics as the Beetle this is customary and the extraordinary long lever is partly to blame. 

There is no history currently available about maintenance but there are certainly no signs of neglect.

If you like meeting people and are happy to stand a chat about cars, then this is the car for you. Made in quite large numbers the Brasilia saw service all over South America but never saw the UK, until now.

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. 

Sitting on the wrong side of the car will become a minor inconvenience when you notice the puzzled yet admiring looks. 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. 

So, come and enjoy something different and rare that everyone will want to talk about.