Volkswagen SP2

The SP2 was a sports car developed by Volkswagen do Brasil for that market, from 1972 to 1976; the name is an acronym for "São Paulo".

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 Puma, Santa Matilde and Miura.

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.

The SP, the final name of the car, was built on the frame of a Variant, with the same Volkswagen air cooled engine, but upgraded to 1700 cc, it developed 75 hp (56 kW), 160 km/h (100 mph) and made 10 km with a litre (24 mpg).

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.