The variety of concepts executed within the automotive world is mind-boggling. Whereas the large gamers have written most of automotive historical past, deep within the sidelines are tales of small and typically really eccentric tasks.
The Brazilian Puma is a chapter within the automotive historical past e book that has remained largely unknown. So to see a Puma GTE in a modified state at the current ‘To Hell’ stance present in Germany blew my thoughts. The distinctive sports activities automobile, slammed to the ground, spoke to my nerdy nature; I needed to know extra.
I had seen the automobile on social media however didn’t know what it was. The spherical headlights jogged my memory of the unique Lotus Europa. The glossy and low silhouette jogged my memory of a Sixties Italian Berlinetta. And the small dimensions made me suppose it could possibly be a basic Abarth sports activities automobile.
A better, in-person look revealed design cues from the Lamborghini Miura; the form of the higher components of the doorways and the rear finish that tapers inward are two such particulars. Wanting again at Puma’s historical past, the Miura is certainly talked about as an inspiration for the GTE.
However cues are the place the similarities between the Puma GTE and any of the automobiles simply talked about start and finish.
The Puma story started in Brazil within the early Sixties with Italian-born designer Rino Malzoni. Utilizing a German DKW chassis equipped by Veículos e Máquinas Agrícolas S.A. (DKW-Vemag) – the Brazilian DKW agent – Malzoni created a fiberglass-bodied sports activities automobile for motorsport. Off the again of its success in 1963 and 1964, the 1965 GT Malzoni highway automobile – nonetheless utilizing DKW underpinnings – was born.
One 12 months later, the Malzoni model turned Puma, and the Puma GT – basically a refined model of the Malzoni GT – made its debut. Round 125 automobiles have been produced.
When Volkswagen bought DKW-Vemag in 1967, Puma needed to pivot. Malzoni spent greater than a 12 months adapting his fibreglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) bodywork design to VW’s Karmann Ghia chassis. The wheelbase was shortened, however the Volkswagen air-cooled flat-four was retained. The Puma GTE was launched in 1970, and within the following years, different variants have been produced and updates have been made. Factoid: The ‘E’ within the Puma GTE stands for ‘Export’.
This 1976 GTE got here to Germany in 2017. Pascal Klein – also referred to as Mr. Wyld – the present proprietor – bought the automobile in a restored situation in 2020 and commenced making private touches the next 12 months.
Pascal had beforehand constructed a really low VW Beetle, so he was intrigued by the Volkswagen-underpinned Puma GTE when listening to about it from a pal. The Beetle was offered and the brand new mission started.
The concept for the construct was comparatively easy. Being a singular automobile with unique styling and irreplaceable physique components, the outside was to stay largely commonplace. Nonetheless, the suspension, fenders, wheels and inside would all see work.
In inventory type, the GTE roofline sits beneath 1.2 meters. With air suspension and somewhat physique modification, Pascal hoped to drop it to beneath 1 meter. Sitting on 15-inch Work Equip 03 wheels fitted by way of hub adapters and with the suspension totally aired out, a roof top of simply 99cm (40 inches) has been achieved. That’s simply bonkers!
Simply as loopy are the rear wheel specs for this tiny automobile, which learn 15×10-inch. The dishes are enormous and the fitment is ideal. The JDM wheels add one other layer of thriller for anybody who doesn’t know what a Puma GTE is within the first place. I’m positive that’s most of us.
Wanting contained in the automobile, the air suspension tank and customized arduous strains mounted excessive within the rear of the cabin are the primary issues that seize your eye. However the inside has seen numerous work all through.
All the manufacturing unit pink accents have been modified to black and new entrance seats have been fitted, though they appear to be they could possibly be authentic objects. The wood panel throughout the dashboard is a customized piece made to match the tone of the basic Nardi wood steering wheel. The whole lot other than the air suspension set up feels completely consistent with the automobile’s age and design.
Since ending the Puma, Pascal has taken it to occasions throughout Europe. In 2022, it even gained the German cease of that 12 months’s Sizzling Wheels Legends Tour.
The modifications to Pascal’s Puma GTE are easy however nicely thought out. What I admire essentially the most is that he hasn’t been afraid to customise what’s a really uncommon machine.
It’s solely been a minute, however I’m already trying ahead to my subsequent encounter with this loopy little part-German, part-Brazilian, and Italian-designed sports activities automobile.
Steve Edward
Instagram: stevedwrd
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