Neat Brazilian Automobile Books!

[jgerock]

My friend Ricardo Prado from Brazil was visiting my company again last week (see here for previous thread http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,50/page,viewtopic/t,317724/highlight,/) and he gave me two interesting car books from Brazil.

They feature both the major and minor manufacturers in Brazil (Simca, VW, Alfa Romeo, Willys, Fiat, Chrysler, DKW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, GM, Toyota, etc.). The book "Memories on Wheels" features cars like the Willys Interlagos that was just featured in Hemmings Sports & Exotic. Both books contain fascinating information on vehicles I've never seen before. Unfortunately, there isn't anything on BMW's.

[RIMSPOKE]

BMW & PORSCHE CARS ARE A RARE SIGHT ON THE ROADS OF BRAZIL .

THERE IS A HUGE IMPORT TARIFF ON CARS PRODUCED OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY SO MOST OF WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS IN SOME WAY

BUILT THERE .

MERCEDES AND VW ARE BOTH BIG THERE AND AUDI HAS HAD A PRESENCE SINCE THE AUTO UNION DAYS .

( THERE IS AN AUTO UNION OVER THE "UTMO" ON THE COVER OF THE MEMORIES BOOK )

THE BIG THREE ARE THERE TOO . FORD's MOST MODERN FACTORY IS THERE . HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A CHEVY OPALA ?

FIAT AND RENAULT ARE COMMON NAMES THERE AS IS TOYOTA .

LEXUS IS A MODEL NAME OF A TOYOTA RATHER THAN A SEPARATE MAKE .

BMW IS SOLD THROUGH A VERY FEW DEALERS AND THE CAR IS A TOTAL STATUS SYMBOL THERE

SO WHAT WAS THEIR FIRST CAR ? WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT WAS THE ISETTA ?

THIS WAS NOT NOT THE BMW ISETTA BUT THE ROMI VERSION .

WHILE ISO SOLD THE RIGHTS TO BUILD THE ISETTA TO BMW , IT WAS ALSO SOLD IT TO SEVERAL OTHER COMPANIES .

ROMI MADE ISETTAS IN SAO PAULO FROM 1956 TO 1961 .

THE EARLY ONES USED THE ISO TWO STROKE ENGINES BUT THEY CHANGED OVER TO THE BMW 4 STROKE POWERPLANTS AROUND 1958 .

TODAY ROMI ISETTAS ARE VERY RARE AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY BRASILIAN COLLECTORS .

MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN MODIFIED AND COBBLED UP OVER THE YEARS WITH CORRECT CARS BRINGING LARGE PREMIUMS .

SOME 200 OR SO ARE THOUGHT OT SURVIVE .

THERE IS EVEN A COMPANY MAKING REPLICAS TO ORDER !

http://www.replicadeisetta.com.br/