Puma (Kit Car)
Puma was an Italian automobile brand that was built from the 1970s to the 1990s by businessman Adriano Gatto from Rome. Were manufactured kit cars; the first was called Gatto Spider Spiaggia and was developed from the U.S. beach buggy. In addition to the owner, there was another important man in the company, Domenico Lombardi, a young engineer who all the models that were produced in this company co-developed. The head office of the company was in the Via Tiburtina in Rome. It emerged sand buggies and other off-road vehicles, and later sports cars, as well as stylistic and mechanical tuning kits for the VW Beetle.
Models
Seven models were constructed by Gatto and Lombardi.
Gatto Spider Spiaggia
This was a classic beach buggy on a VW chassis, which was powered by a four-cylinder boxer engine from VW with 1192 cc capacity. The bodywork was made of GRP. The kit was very successful in the market because its quality was high and the price is affordable.
Puma ( 1973)
This car was an evolution of Gatto Spider Spiaggia. He sat on a shortened VW chassis and was powered by the same VW engine as its predecessor. There were different versions. The GT version had a slightly more aggressive -looking body and to desire a hardtop with gullwing doors. Thus, they could be considered to drive all year.
Puma GTV (1979 )
The 1979 GTV coupe presented was the Italian version of the UK Nova. The design was by Richard Oakes and saw a foldable forward pulpit before entry. Also this car on VW chassis had a VW boxer engine, but Lombardi 1385 cc bored out, so he could make appropriate performance of a sporty body.
Puma Ranch
This car was inspired by the Jeep Wrangler, but showed a completely different concept than this, because he - like his predecessors - the rear engine and the trunk had the front. The chassis was based on ideas of Lombardi and was powered by the same 1.4 -liter boxer engine as the Gtv. On request, there was also a 1.6 L - version; the body in turn consisted of fiberglass. At that time, the ranch was the only Italian SUV (Fiat and Alfa Romeo, the production of their ATVs had long set ).
Puma GTV 1200 o 033 (1984 )
The GTV of the second series had a different body and a different engine. The snout was shorter than in the first series, the tail slightly angular and rounded at the sides, as in the contemporary racing cars. The aggressive body line was popular with customers is not good; the soft lines of the first series were more popular. Therefore, it was decided that a longer snout and square headlights began, so the GTV the first series corresponded more closely. The car was powered by a water-cooled four -cylinder boxer engine of Alfa Romeo with 1186 cc capacity, which replaced the old air-cooled VW engine. The higher engine performance made for better performance. The second series remained in production until 1991, the third series was introduced.
Puma Boxer 90 (1991 )
The successor of the GTV did not have the sensual body lines of its predecessor and also no longer the pivoting cockpit. Instead, he had two double doors, with an equally unusual solution. The body styles were still aggressive and inside he was better equipped. The complex structure forced many customers, the car assembled to buy, rather than build it themselves. He was equipped with a four -cylinder boxer engine of the Alfa Romeo 1490 cm ³ displacement, which also increased the performance ..
The end
The prototype Puma 248 shown in 1993 was to be the successor of the Boxer 90. The car had a new chassis and a leather interior. However, in the same year was preparing the fire at the factory halls, in which even the prototype was destroyed, the brand Puma to an end. Gatto decided to no longer include the construction of kit cars since Italy simultaneous intensification of the laws for this type of wagon. An extensive and expensive type approval has now demanded that the small producers could not afford it and so had to stop their activities. Then the enthusiasts of the brand came together in various associations. In Italy, the Cougar Club Cougar Club Monza Italy and are the largest.