The Puma GT, almost unknown to us, is a Brazilian sports car born in the 1960s. It has lasted for two decades and still enjoys a certain popularity in its native land. There are even a few second-hand copies in France.
If we talk to you about a small sports car named Puma, you will probably think of the Ford of the late 1990s, whose name is now taken over by a compact SUV. But before the blue oval coupe there was the Puma GT, a sports car from Brazil and today forgotten by many.
A Brazilian with a German heart
Puma was founded in Brazil in 1963 and initially bore the name Luminari briefly. Alongside small utility vehicles, the manufacturer designed the GT coupe in 1964. Its chassis and mechanics were of German origin since supplied by DKW-Vemag.
It was originally a 720 kg racing car powered by a 981 cc front three-cylinder. With its bulging hood, its front part could evoke that of a more compact Jaguar Type E, while its stern could not hide a certain Italian inspiration.
Relatively homogeneous, the silhouette was that of a small GT of the time. After successes in competition, the road model was launched in 1966. But the first series was only produced at 125 units until the demise of Vemag in 1967. DKW followed in 1968, but Puma had already bounced back by launching a new Volkswagen chassis car, fitted with a 1.5 l four-cylinder engine from the same brand in the rear position.
Puma is still here
The Brazilian sportswoman evolved in the years that followed, along with the launch of other models. The styling of the GT changed over the course of these variations until the adoption of a profile and a stern close to those of a Porsche 911. In the meantime, Puma had adopted a 1.6 l Volkswagen boxer. 70 ch. He built cars until the 1980s before he died. The brand was resuscitated in the 2010s with the project of a new GT bearing the Luminari suffix. It is not yet on the market, but the manufacturer communicates regularly on social networks about its development, which is not therefore at a standstill. Even in France, there are now a few used Puma GTs. Depending on the model and its condition, a GT costs between € 15,000 and € 30,000 in France.
