The Puma GT "Tubarao" was the first Puma model to be built on the VW chassis. It gets the name Tubarao, which translates to Shark in English, from the gill-like slits found on the C pillar (behind the door windows) which were used to duct fresh air to the engine compartment. This design was introduced after DKW was bought and dissolved by VW in 1967 which forced Puma to rethink their car. The marraige of the VW pan to the Puma fiberglass body was a great success on the track as well as on the streets of Brazil.

The GT Spyder is the topless version of the Puma GT. It wasn't introduced until about 1971 and like the GT, it was a big hit among consumers. This Spyder carried very similar lines to the original Puma GT coupe and did not stray from the elements that made Puma so popular among the Brazilians.

The Puma GTE and GTS are two modesl introduced in the mid-70's that were built on the VW rear-engine platform, just like the Puma GT. However, in 1976 the Puma was built on the VW Brasilia chassis which sported front ball joint suspension instead of the older king pin suspension found on the earlier models. The GTE sports slightly different lines than the pre-75 Puma GT, but still embodies the character of the earlier models. It's split front and rear bumpers are nicely accented by the chrome bumper caps that give it a beautiful shine without being too flashy. This model was the first to be exported out of Brazil in large numbers and it is said that the "E" in GTE stands for "Export". This may be true, but the GTE is also found in abundance in Brazil, so I think that it may be more likely that the updated name was part of the entire update for the car.

The GTS (formerly GT Spyder) was updated at the same time as the GTE, but did an excellent job of maintaining the beautiful proportions of the coupe. The top-down fun provided by the GTS was widely popular, especially amoung the younger crowd, which only served to heighten it's demand which included international destinations such as Europe, South Africa, Canada and the USA. In fact, South Africa began producing their own Pumas in 1973.

Photos courtesy of Purring Pumas

One of the things that makes Paul's Puma different is a 3.0 liter Porsche motor.

			Click here for more Tubarao pics Click here for more GTE pics Click here for more GTS pics Click here for South African Puma pics
If any of these cars are yours, please drop me an e-mail so that I can put your name next to the picture!