5k: Brazillian Kit: 1980 L’automobile Volkswagen Ventura

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So you like obscure VW-based kit cars but you want a trunk, a frunk, and an engine you can put cargo on top of like in a VW Type III. You love the Puma’s
Brazilian heritage and VW engineering but want a car that looks more
third-generation Celica and less Ferrari. Every night you fall asleep in
a bottomless pit of hopeless and self-loathing at your impossibly
specific automotive desires and every day you swear you’ll adopt a new
car fetish (Mustangs. Mustangs would be easy) but know it will never
happen. Today, Daily Turismo brings you the gospel of Ventura. Find this 1980 L’automobile VW Ventura for $3,550 reserve not met with an asking price of $5,200 in Panama City, FL.  Words by DT contributor slowcarSLOW-MPGlol.

If Volkswagen made a rear-drive GT car that preceded the
Scirocco and Corrado, and it looked half as good as this does, they
would be everywhere. Instead, the Ventura got the “just another kit car”
label and is largely forgotten (interestingly, another one is selling
in Vancouver for $5,000).
Information and comparable examples are hard to come by, but we know it
was made from 1978 until at least 1992 using mostly VW parts, and most
were shipped to America sans engine.

Inside, which is where kit cars show their less
desirable colors, things look better than expected. Tacky seat covers
hopefully protect whatever fabric is underneath… unless those are the
actual seats. The aftermarket CD player looks a bit wonky and the carpet
looks disheveled but clean. Also, that must be the simplest array of
climate control switches ever put on a car, if that’s even what we’re
looking at. Judging by the fan, though, there probably isn’t air
conditioning. Just as well – the little 1600 engine wouldn’t be up to
running the A/C unit to cool off a black interior under such a huge
expanse of rear window.

Expect 50 or 60 horsepower out of the VW Type III
“pancake” four-cylinder, routed to the rear wheels with a four-speed
stick. Should anything go wrong, replacement parts are plentiful. These
VW parts are known for reliability, so once you have found your bizarre
dream car, it should serve you well for years with plenty of room in
both trunks for your engorged sense of satisfaction.  

See another South American sports car? Email us at tips@dailyturismo.com


slowcarSLOW-MPGlol knows how many licks it takes to reach the center
of a Tootsie Pop, and he’s not telling. As someone with a B+ blood type,
he considers himself an optimist. Unless it has structural rust.