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Puma was a Brazilian specialist car manufacturer who built cars between 1967 and around 1992. High import tariffs effectively closed Brazil during much of this period to foreign-built cars, and the vehicles available to the average Brazilian were limited to those built in Brazil either by foreign manufacturers, such as Volkswagen and General Motors, who established Brazilian manufacturing plants, and the products of local companies.The origin of what was to become the Puma was the DKW-Malzoni, built by Rino Malzoni of Matão in São Paulo state from around 1964. Malzoni was a keen auto racer and began building his own competition cars based around a DKW straight-3 two-stroke engine with a light, fiberglass-skinned bodyshell. The cars began to sell in quantities larger than he himself could build, and Malzoni founded a company with a group of other auto enthusiasts. Production at first was around 35 cars a year, increasing to more than a hundred within a couple of years.
1967 saw DKW bought out by Volkswagen and the Brazilian production of DKWs ceased. With no DKW engine available, a new car was designed, based around the rear-engined, air-cooled Volkswagen Karmann Ghia sold in Brazil. The car was named Puma and the company was likewise renamed, and it sold relatively well for a specialist sports car.
A convertible version, the Spyder, was added in around 1970 and cars began to be exported around that date, to other South American countries, North American and Europe. Many of the exported vehicles were kit cars - actually substantially complete bodyshells, but lacking engine, transmission, axles, wheels and other mechanical parts. All cars sold in Brazil were complete.
Another model, the Puma GTB, used a front-mounted Chevrolet straight-6; this model was not exported.
VW stopped production of the Karmann Ghia in Brazil during the mid 1970s, and the car was switched to take from the Volkswagen Brasilia instead. Pumas began to be assembled in South Africa around this time. Bodywork was restyled in 1977For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). Events January 1 First woman Episcopal priest ordained January 6 EMI sacks the Sex Pistols January 18 Scientists identify a previously unknown bacterium as the cause of the mysterious " legionnaire's disease" Januar.
The 1980sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s Years: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Events and trends saw harsh economic times in Brazil, and this hit Puma hard. In 19851985 is a common year starting on Tuesday. Events January events January 1 Creation of the Internet's Domain Name System. January 17 British Telecom annouces they are going to abolish the famous red telephone boxes. January 23 A debate in the House of Lor, the rights to the Puma were sold; a year later, they were sold again. Production continued in small numbers, but the opening of the Brazilian market to foreign cars in the early 1990sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s Years: Events and trends Computers, technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other techn was the final blow, and production ceased around 1992.
Automobiles
Sports cars
