The Puma GTB was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive touring car based on the Brazilian GMChevrolet Opala components. A prototype named the Puma GTO appeared in 1971. The name was changed to Puma GTB (Gran Turismo Brazil) for the first production version which appeared in 1973. Registers confirm that the Puma GTB was Brazil's most expensive car from 1973 to 1984. The GTB was powered by a 4100 cc in-line six-cylinder engine that was basically a U.S. Chevrolet six produced in Brazil. The body was made of fiberglass, which allowed for styling changes with minimal expense. It was common for GTB engines to be modified for high output. GTB interiors were luxurious, with features such as leather seats, power windows and air conditioning. Several aftermarket companies, including Pumakit and Superclar, produced custom body parts for the Puma GTB (the Daytona version).
Production of the GTB was lower than that of the VW based Pumas. Total production was 1,589 of which 701 were S1 (First Series) and 888 were S2 (Second Series). The Puma GTB was not exported to North America or Europe, although at least one S2 is known to be in the U.S. There were also two other versions of the Puma GTB before the factory's debts led to their demise: the GTB S3 (late 1983), using Brazilian Sugarcane Alcohol as fuel with the Chevrolet 4.1-liter engine, and the S4 (1984), with a turbo-charged engine. But being of a rather outdated design and now competing in a market with relaxed import restrictions, neither version could sell as much as the S1 and S2 had. Puma Vehicles fell into bankruptcy in 1985. In 1987 Alfa Metais (AMV) assumed production of Puma's cars, producing a facelifted GTB in very small numbers as the AMV until production ended for good in 1993.
Pontiac, or formally the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors, was an American automobile brand owned, manufactured, and commercialized by General Motors. Introduced as a companion make for GM's more expensive line of Oakland automobiles, Pontiac overtook Oakland in popularity and supplanted its parent brand entirely by 1933.
The Opel Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) developed and produced by the German automaker Opel since 1991, currently at its sixth generation. It was first launched in September 1991 as a direct replacement to the Opel Kadett. As of 2022, the car slots between the smaller Corsa supermini and the larger Insignia large family car.
The Lotus Europa name is used on two distinct mid-engine GT cars built by British automobile manufacturer Lotus Cars. The original Europa and its variants comprise the Lotus Types 46, 47, 54, 65 and 74, and were produced between 1966 and 1975.
The Chevrolet Chevette is a front-engine, rear-drive subcompact manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet for model years 1976–1987 as a three-door or five-door hatchback. Introduced in North America in September 1975, the Chevette superseded the Vega as Chevrolet's entry-level subcompact, and sold 2.8 million units over 12 years. The Chevette was the best-selling small car in the U.S. for model years 1979 and 1980.
The Lotus Esprit is a sports car built by Lotus Cars from 1976 to 2004 at their Hethel, England factory. It has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Together with the Lotus Elise / Exige, it is one of Lotus' most long-lived models.
The Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer (BB) is series of sports cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. The BB was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina. The first BB model, the 365 GT4 BB, replaced the front engined Daytona and was the first in a series of road-going Ferraris equipped with a mid-mounted flat-twelve engine. It was also the first mid-engined road-car to bear the Ferrari name and the Cavallino Rampante logo. The 365 GT4 BB was succeeded in 1976 by the BB 512, equipped with a larger displacement engine, then by the fuel-injected BB 512i in 1981. The series was discontinued in 1984 when the BB 512i was replaced by the Testarossa, which used a revised version of the flat-twelve engine.
Puma Automóveis Ltda. is a Brazilian manufacturer of sports cars. It was established in 1963 as Sociedade de Automóveis Lumimari, then became Puma Veículos e Motores the following year, and Puma Indústria de Veículos SA in 1974.
The Holden Monaro is a car which was manufactured by General Motors' Australian division Holden. It has a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and was produced with a two-door coupé body from 1968 to 1975 and again from 2001 to 2006 and with a 4-door sedan body from 1973 to 1977.
The Holden Torana is a mid-sized car that was manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name apparently comes from a word meaning "to fly" in an unconfirmed Aboriginal Australian language. The original HB series Torana was released in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle closely based on the British Vauxhall Viva HB series of 1966–1970.
The Opel Ascona is a large family car that was produced by the German automaker Opel from 1970 to 1988. It was produced in three separate generations, beginning with rear-wheel-drive and ending up as a front-wheel drive J-car derivative.
The Chevrolet S-10 is a compact pickup truck produced by Chevrolet. It was the first domestically-built compact pickup of the big three American automakers. When it was first introduced as a "quarter-ton pickup" in 1981 for the 1982 model year, the GMC version was known as the S-15 and later renamed the GMC Sonoma. A high-performance version of the latter was released in 1991, called "Syclone." The pickup was also sold by Isuzu as the Hombre from 1996 through 2000, but only in North America. There was also an SUV version, the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer/GMC S-15 Jimmy. An electric version was leased as a fleet vehicle in 1997 and 1998. Together, these pickups are often referred to as the S-Series.
The Chevrolet C/K is a series of trucks that was manufactured by General Motors from the 1960 to 2002 model years. Marketed by both the Chevrolet and GMC divisions, the C/K series encompassed a wide range of vehicles. While most commonly associated with pickup trucks, the model line also included chassis-cab trucks and medium-duty trucks and served as the basis for GM full-size SUVs. Through its entire production, the model line competed directly against the Ford F-Series and the Dodge D series.
The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a small automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, and produced in five generations for the 1962 through 1979, and 1985 through 1988 model years. Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II nameplate was dropped after 1968, with Nova becoming the nameplate for all of the 1969 through 1979 models. Built on the X-body platform, the Nova was replaced by the 1980 Chevrolet Citation introduced in the spring of 1979. The Nova nameplate returned in 1985, produced through 1988 as a S-car based, NUMMI manufactured, subcompact based on the front wheel drive, Japan home-based Toyota Sprinter.
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a two-door coupe that was manufactured and marketed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. Deriving its name from the city in Monaco, the Monte Carlo was marketed as the first personal luxury car of the Chevrolet brand. Introduced for the 1970 model year, the model line was produced across six generations through the 2008 model year, with a hiatus from 1989 to 1994. The Monte Carlo was a closely aligned variant of the Pontiac Grand Prix through its entire production.
The Ferrari 275 is a series of front-engined V12-powered grand touring automobiles with two-seater coupé and spider bodies produced by Ferrari between 1964 and 1968. The first 275 series cars were powered by a 3.3 L (3286 cc) overhead camshaft Colombo 60° V12 engine producing 260–320 hp (190–240 kW). An updated 275 GTB/4 was introduced in 1966, with a revised four overhead camshaft engine producing 300 hp (220 kW). The 275 series were the first road-going Ferraris equipped with a transaxle and independent rear suspension.
The Chevrolet Opala is a Brazilian mid-size car sold under the Chevrolet brand in South America from 1969 to 1992, by General Motors do Brasil. It was derived from the German Opel Rekord Series C, Opel Commodore Series A, but used local design styling and engines derived from North American designs. GM manufactured about one million units including the Opala sedan, Opala Coupé, and the station wagon variant, the Opala Caravan. It was replaced by the Chevrolet Omega in 1992, also an Opel spinoff. It was the first passenger car built by GM in Brazil by the General Motors do Brasil division. A luxury version of the Opala was marketed as the Chevrolet Diplomata.
The Opel Kadett C is a small family car which was produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1973 to 1979. The Kadett C, which was the fourth generation of the Opel Kadett, was released in August 1973, and was Opel's version of the General Motors "T-Car". It was the last small Opel to feature rear-wheel drive, and remained in production at Opel's Bochum plant until July 1979, by which time Opel had produced 1,701,076. Of these, 52% had been exported outside West Germany, most of them to markets in other parts of western Europe. In other world markets, however, various badge engineered versions of the Kadett C remained in production as late as the mid-1990s under other GM brand names.
The Opel Rekord Series C is an executive car that was introduced in August 1966, by Opel as a replacement for the short-lived Opel Rekord Series B. It was slightly larger all round than its predecessor, from which it inherited most of its engines. It continued in production until replaced by the Opel Rekord Series D at the end of 1971.
JAC Yueyue is a city car produced by JAC under the Heyue passenger car series that debuted on the 2010 Beijing Auto Show.
The Chevrolet Turbo-Thrift engine is a straight-six produced from 1962 to 2001 by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. The entire series of engines was commonly called Turbo-Thrift, although the name was first used on the 230 cubic inch version that debuted in 1963. The new engine featured seven main bearings in lieu of the four bearing design of its predecessor, the "Stovebolt" engine, and was considerably smaller and approximately 100 lbs lighter.
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Puma GTB S2
Facelifted Puma GTB S2, showing detail of nose
1990 Puma AMV
