News from France

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From 1973 a more confidential car using a Chevy 6 in line cylinders called GTB S1 and S2 was produced on a small scale

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Sorry mix the pics I will come back to the above cars later
Here the GTBS2 with Chevy 6 in line in front position

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[neilbardsley]

Looks like a 250 GTO?

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Puma contined its life until 1985 where the company was declared bankrupt
From 1964 to 1985 around 20.000 cars were produced
The Alfa Metals company bought what left of Puma in 1987

and tried to restart a production with 2 cars called AM1 and AM2
When the production ceased in 1991 around 200 cars had been sold

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From 1973 to 1974 370 cars were built under licence in South Africa


The former South Africa plant director Jack Wiljker when he retired from his last job in 2004 bought the moulds and started a small production in South Africa
You come with a VW beetle and go away with a Puma GTE post 1976 but only a few/year cars have been produced
Apparently still alive to day

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The Puma cars sold in Brazil benefit from the VW warranty on their engine
To day one Puma GTE is on display at the VW Wolfsburg museum

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My car being my car is of course unique
It is one of the 150 Puma GT first serie imported in 1973 in Switzerland

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Sold in Switzerland in 1975 the first owner kept it until 1981 and sold it as a "wreck" to a passionnate and talentuous guy who kept it until 1994 after having spent long days to restaure it.
The third owner kept it only 2 years until 1996 where he exchange it against a VW cab for sale in a VW car dealer
The Puma stayed 3 years in the show room of this Swiss VW dealer
In 1999 Nino Fabbri who ran a VW shop called "Puissance Cox" near Vaud in Switzerland buy the car and start to restaure it to the standard where the car is now to day
Nino Fabbri is a fascinating guy, born with a left hand witout fingers
Despite his handicape he had became a fabulous mechanic

and also one of the best competitor in the French VW Cup who had seen crazy competition beetles race in strong packs

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The French VW cup ended in 2000 who left some time for Nino yo work on his Puma
This car was dispayed in many meetings both in France and in Switzerland and became famous in the small VW fanatics world as prooved by this pic I found in the net

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The above seems to have been written in the early 2000 as the car has still its original wheels
The French text say :
Switzerland is a beautiful country
Nino Fabbri alias Puissance Cox (his shop name) Puma
To have seen it and pictured it I may see it is immaculate

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In 2003 Nino Fabbri is contacted by a French Magazine editor Michel Hommel who publish a complete range of specialized magazines dedicated to one car or one hobby
Super VW magazine
4 L magazine
2 CV magazine

etc and etc to start a new magazine called VW TECH dedicated to all of the VW fanatics who entertain or improve their VW beetle or derivatives

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Nino had to leave Switzerland to move to the Arcachon region where most of the Hommel magazines are written
For the occasion the Puma had a very serious and documented article published in the Mars 2004 edition of the VWTech sister magazine Super VW magazine

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At the time the artivle was written the Puma who had still its Vaud plate
Nino kept the car until 2009 when I bought it
Improvements done by Nino on this car
Road handling improved by larger roll bars
Front train rigidified
Original disc brakes replaced by vented Kerscher brakes
Adaptable back train
Serious droppage
Original aluminium wheels replaced by a complete set of orignal Porsche 2.7 RS wheels in 7" and 8"
Bilstein shock absorbers
BAS exhaust
1.9 L VW type 1 with 2 off 40 quadrons delivering 104 BHP (for only 680 kg weight)
and many more