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VW Brasília: the story of one of the greatest national classics

The year 1973 was remarkable for Brazilians passionate about cars. In the same period in which the VW Brasília was launched, we had the debut of the Chevrolet Chevette, the Ford Maverick and the Dodge 1800.

Since 1970, Volkswagen was already working on a compact model. The project to create the VW Brasília was requested by the then president of Volkswagen do Brasil, Rudolph Leiding.

The car was born from a dream. The launch of Brasilia was Leiding's wish.

The executive, who later went on to manage the company globally, had asked the brand's engineers for a new car to succeed the Beetle. Leiding then requested a vehicle with the same platform as the Beetle, with a “premium” style and more spaciousness. No wonder it arrived to be a more expensive option for the Beetle.

Interestingly, Rudolph Leiding ended up not even seeing his final project on the Brazilian streets, as he went on to preside over the company globally.

At the time, the Beetle was Volkswagen's flagship model, meanwhile, competing automakers were starting to work on new models. However, taking the beetle off the line was clearly not an option. Then, the automaker launched the Type 3 line, square and larger models.

In almost ten years of life, 950 thousand units of the VW Brasília were sold in Brazil. The model was even exported to neighboring countries of Brazil and to Africa, but it was not so successful.

The iconic Brasília stopped being produced in 1982. The end of production even generated an internal “crisis”. An engineer at the automaker complained that “they killed the wrong car”. For him, Volkswagen should stop producing the Beetle, since it was much older.

Brasília was launched in 1973, almost together with General Motors' Chevette, its direct competitor. If the Brasilia's luggage compartment disappointed, on the other hand, the car conquered by the wide glass area. The driver had plenty of vision at various points in the vehicle.

In advertising campaigns, the automaker even highlighted some customer reviews. One of them: “The only problem is that I'm shy. In Brasília, the glazed area is large and everyone looks at me,” he said.

The classic was agile in traffic and maneuvering didn't require as much effort. About this, another answer from a “guinea pig” customer said: “I'm tired of pushing in traffic. Brasília is ideal for escaping the traffic, maneuvering and parking easily”.

On the side, we could see the air intakes for cooling the rear engine (the trunk was at the front). In fact, these lines generate harmony in the car's design. Also noteworthy are the side windows, both huge, providing easier maneuvering.

As for the mechanical set, the engine of the VW Brasília is where the trunk is usually located, the same was done with the VW Beetle. The model named after the capital of Brazil was equipped with an air-cooled engine, four opposed cylinders, 1.6 liters and a power of 60 hp.

To reach 100 km/h it took 23 seconds. While the top speed was around 132 km/h.

The production change was a big news. The VW Brasília began to be manufactured in Puebla, Mexico.

In 1975, at its peak, the hatchback was already pleasing Brazilians, especially young people and families. That same year, Brasília reached 126,000 units produced.

In 1976, the history of the VW Brasília begins to get more hectic with modifications, such as the four-door option and the arrival of an important competitor.

With two carburetors, the classic has increased power to 65 horsepower. In addition, there have been improvements in fuel economy, acceleration and top speed.

The Brasília of 76 still gained other novelties. There was a rare red color option in the interior of the car, as in the seats and doors. Another one in brown was also presented, which anticipated the monochromatic versions.

Four-door version was also manufactured in this period, but for export. Philippines and Nigeria were the first countries to receive this option.

Still in 1976, more specifically in the month of November, another model was launched in Brazil to “fight” directly with the VW Brasília. The Italian Fiat announced the small 147.

The 1977 VW Brasília gained important changes, with emphasis on the finish, comfort and mechanics of the vehicle. Minor changes to the front design were also made.

In this period, the monochromatic versions appear. On the dashboard, the instruments were cleaner. Still internally, the glove compartment received a lid for the first time.

In the mechanical part, the VW Brasília gained new independent double brakes on the front and rear axles, in addition to a retractable steering column, a safety tube against frontal impacts on the front bumper and the chassis head was reinforced.

Year after year and the VW Brasília did not undergo radical changes in its versions. However, in 1978 the hatchback received some considerable changes, particularly in the design. We can consider that in 78 it received the first and only restyling in its history.

Inspired by Mercedes-Benz models, Brasília started to adopt larger lanterns in addition to beaded ones. For the first time, Volkswagen decided to offer, as an option, an electric rear window defroster.

Inside, the German automaker modified the design of the horn trigger and became similar to the VW Passat.

In the 70's the world was faced with the oil crisis. Barrel prices have soared, experiencing an increase of up to 400% in just five months. The crisis affected the economy of Europe and the United States and, consequently, affected the global economy.

To the detriment of this, many automakers had to adopt strategies to make their vehicles more economical.

With Brasília, of course, it was no different. The Volkswagen classic now has a dual-stage accelerator that provided more fuel economy, since the driver did not need to step on the gas.

LS version 1979 / 1980 (the best selling car in Brazil)

Between the years of 1979 and 1980, the VW Brasília still had as main competitors the Fiat 147 and the Chevrolet Chevette in its hatch version. Both were more efficient and modern, leaving the VW model behind. With an eye on this, Volkswagen decided to give an answer and launched the Brasília LS version.

The German automaker did not want to lose to its competitors. Soon, it came with radical changes and we have here the main changes that the car underwent before leaving the line in 1982.

The LS version became Brasilia's top of the line. It started to offer as standard: green windows, mini console in the tunnel, more sophisticated finish and the front seats received an integrated headrest.

The Brasília LS 1979 was equipped with a longitudinal engine with 4 opposed cylinders, 1,584 cm³, 65 hp at 4,600 rpm, 11.7 mkgf at 3,200 rpm. The transmission was a four-speed manual and rear-wheel drive.

Previously produced only for export, Brazil received for the first time the option of four doors. However, it was released with an impoverished finish. Again, fleet owners and taxi drivers were the ones who most bought this configuration.

Even having to face its heavy competitors, Brasília managed to be the best-selling car in Brazil in 79. There were more than 150 thousand units sold that year alone.

In 1980, the hatchback tries to get closer to the VW Passat. Volkswagen launches the Brasília with a new instrument panel, now having just one frame. The front seats received new formats and now have new headrests, which can be removed by the occupant.

Buyers could purchase an electric windshield washer and wiper timer as options. Vacuum gauge was also an option.

An alcohol option was launched; the model generated 49 horsepower. However, it was a sales failure, as it lacked performance and generated high fuel consumption.

Still in the 80s, more specifically in May 1980, another historical fact, the Volkswagen Gol was launched – a model manufactured until today. Gol is considered one of the biggest successes of the German automaker and collects unique moments, as the first national vehicle to exceed the mark of five million units produced.

Nearing its end, the VW Brasília did not undergo many changes in 1981. It gained the steering wheel of the recently launched Gol, new materials to reduce internal noise and new orange turn signals.

In March 1982, Volkswagen announces the end of a classic, which became famous even in music: “Brasilia Amarelo”, by the group Mamonas Assassinas. In Brazil alone, 940 thousand units were sold; 100,000 abroad and another 80,000 in Mexico alone.

With these numbers, it can be said that the VW Brasília had more than one million units manufactured.

Source: https://www.assobrav.com.br/destaques/vw-brasilia-a-historia-de-um-dos-maiores-classicos-nacionais/