Volkswagen SP2
Encyclopedia
The SP2 was a sports car developed by Volkswagen do Brasil
for that market, from 1972 to 1976; the name is an abbreviation of "São Paulo".
, Santa Matilde
and Miura.
, but upgraded to 1700 cc, it developed 75 hp, 160 km/h (100 mph) and made 10 L/100 km.
When the car was presented, it quickly drew media attention, with its many improvements over the local "air cooled" VW line, an impressive interior, its many extra features and its superb finishing.
).
Despite its revolutionary look, the car failed to beat the Puma
in performance. Although they used similar engines, the fiberglass
Puma was much lighter. This resulted in low sales, and the SP was discontinued in February 1976.
With a total of 10,205 units made (670 of them exported, the majority 155 went to Nigeria with only one going to Europe, Portugal), the car is now sought-after as a valuable collector's item. One of them, in white, is in the VW museum on public display. While prices during the production time frame were roughly the same as the Beetle, the price of a well-preserved example today is considerably higher than contemporary VW models.
TS. Although at the factory, a prototype
was made at Dacon.
Volkswagen do Brasil
Volkswagen do Brasil Ltda. is a subsidiary arm of Volkswagen Group, established in 1953.-Brazilian developed Volkswagens:Many of its models were designed especially for Brazil:*Brasilia*SP1 & SP2*1500/Variant/Variant II*Karmann Ghia TC...
for that market, from 1972 to 1976; the name is an abbreviation of "São Paulo".
Origins of the project
In the 70s, the Brazilian market was closed for imports. The only sports car officially made there was the aging (and by then retired) Karmann Ghia, and its failed successor, the Karmann Ghia TC. Only independent car makers were able to fill the gap, notably PumaPuma (car)
Puma was a Brazilian specialist car manufacturer which built cars from 1967 until roughly 1997. High import tariffs effectively closed Brazil during much of this period to foreign-built cars...
, Santa Matilde
Santa Matilde
The Santa Matilde, or SM4.1, is a sports car designed and produced in Brazil by Cia. Industrial Santa Matilde between 1977 and 1997.- Conception :...
and Miura.
"Project X"
The Volkswagen subsidiary in Brazil always had some degree of independence from Wolfsburg, so in 1969 they decided to start a new project of their own. A team led by Senor Schiemann and supported by Rudolf Leiding (the CEO of the subsidiary and later of the entire company) started work on a so called "Project X", and presented a prototype in a 1971 fair. But it would take another year before the car reached the streets.Production models
The SP, the final name of the car, was built on the frame of a Variant, with the same Volkswagen air cooled engineVolkswagen air cooled engine
The Volkswagen air-cooled engine is an air-cooled boxer engine with four horizontally opposed cast iron cylinders, cast aluminium alloy cylinder heads and pistons, magnesium crankcase, and forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods....
, but upgraded to 1700 cc, it developed 75 hp, 160 km/h (100 mph) and made 10 L/100 km.
When the car was presented, it quickly drew media attention, with its many improvements over the local "air cooled" VW line, an impressive interior, its many extra features and its superb finishing.
Decline
A car named SP1 was also built, but due to its very poor performance (only 65 hp with a 1600 cc engine), it was soon discontinued. The same problem plagued the SP2. In fact, a malicious joke at that time was to relate the "SP2" name with "Sem Potência" ("Without Power", in PortuguesePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
).
Despite its revolutionary look, the car failed to beat the Puma
Puma (car)
Puma was a Brazilian specialist car manufacturer which built cars from 1967 until roughly 1997. High import tariffs effectively closed Brazil during much of this period to foreign-built cars...
in performance. Although they used similar engines, the fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
Puma was much lighter. This resulted in low sales, and the SP was discontinued in February 1976.
With a total of 10,205 units made (670 of them exported, the majority 155 went to Nigeria with only one going to Europe, Portugal), the car is now sought-after as a valuable collector's item. One of them, in white, is in the VW museum on public display. While prices during the production time frame were roughly the same as the Beetle, the price of a well-preserved example today is considerably higher than contemporary VW models.
SP3
An attempt to resolve SP's main problem, lack of engine power, was called "SP3 project". It would be basically an SP2, but with a 1.8L EA-827 (AP in Brazil) engine, watercooled, 8,5:1, 100 cv SAE at 6000 rpm and twin carburetors, all "borrowed" from the Brazilian version of the PassatVolkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
TS. Although at the factory, a prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
was made at Dacon.
External links
- Mundo VOLKSWAGEN SP2 - Facebook Group for all fanatics of the VW SP2 - Join now!
- About SP1 and SP2
- Club of enthusiasts of the model, with pictures (inclusive of the SP3 prototype, in ads of the time)
- Technical data
- German and English web page about this rare car
- German, English and Portuguese web page with a lot of stuff