Very nice! I've never seen a hardtop Puma in person before. When I was in Ontario for college, though, there was a yellow convertible that I'd see cruising around from time to time. I'd have had no idea what it was if it didn't say "PUMA" in large block letters on the back...

Judging by the bigger tail lamps and the simplified front end detailing, this looks like a later production car than a '70 Puma. Check the North American Puma site, and I think you'll agree.

[wj2d.100megsdns.com]

Having said that, I think these cars in coupe form are frickin awesome and I want one.

That is a very good looking car. Never seen a Puma before, but it has been added to my list of cars I would like to own.
A Porsche running gear transplant would make it a very entertaining drive.
Lightweight fibreglass sports cars make me happy.

I'd say it's a 1980s based on the tail lights

That is so cool. I've always wanted a Puma or better yet an SP2, but getting one to the States is a royal PITA.

This is a new one for this old dog. I have never seen one of these. The thing looks great and I bet it was a real head turner when it was new given the style of other cars of the period.

Back in the day they used to make a car (kit) locally called the Kelmark. It was one of the better looking kit cars (IMO) and kind of resembled this Puma a little. We had a couple of rodded ones around town, probably demos for the company. There's still a few out there.

mmmh.. it looks like a frog that had small mercedes for breakfast to me.

Wow, the Puma has super-skatepark-potential!

I feel evil for thinking it, but this car was designed to skate.

FYI, those cracks around the headlight are from when the thing got *run over* at an intersection. Fared pretty well considering.

And some kinda hot vw engine did find its way in there very recently, I'm sure Jesse'll chime in with the details.

One of my favorite aspects is the job he did replacing the dual wipers with the single, huge center-mount. That and the Alfa Romeo side mirrors, which are stock.

Oh, and maybe someone here can p-shop some puma stripes on the side-view picture?

I've been trying to get him to put those on since he bought it. I think if he had a visual, it would push him into it.

There has been a silver '81 Puma convertible in my garage for the past seven years. They are cool and very well built but, as MM points out, they're just a VW Karmann Ghia underneath. Now, if someone can find me a Deek powered Malzoni...

@mytdawg: The Kelmark was one of the prettier kits. It was styled after the Dino 246.

Cool. I'd never even heard of the Puma before. I like it.

@alfamale: Maybe we need to have a Jalopnik-themed drinkfest at an Alameda dive bar one of these days, given how many East Bay folks we have here. I suggest the Lemon Tree, or maybe the Club House.

Hey thanks Murilee! That's all I got for DOTS at this point! Unless I start winning some ebay auctions, but then I'd have to take some more valuable parking spots away from my neighboors.

Some extra info on this car:

It currently has a 2054cc Type 1 VW motor running dual weber 44 IDFs. I just got it running again recently so I'm working out the bugs and getting it tuned. And you would like this one, it's freakin' loud! It sets off car alarms all along Central Ave.

ALFAMALE got it right about the damage to the front end. Some drunk chick used this car as a ramp to flip her Chevy Corsica. I bought it with actual treadmarks on the hood (thats why i got a good deal on it). Notice though, that it broke off one of the Alfa mirrors as I moved it out of the driveway. That thing broke in classic italian car flare, immediately and with very little force.

This car was originally sold in Canada, then spent most of it's life in LA, before I bought. It has the luxury package which includes power windows and a sunroof (sweet!).

I'm currently entertaining the idea of selling this one, I just have too many cars...

@MurileeMartin: Heck yeah! I'm down for the Lemon Tree!

@junkman: To be completely correct, the Puma is not based on the Karmann Ghia. The floor pan is shaped differently. It's actually based on the VW Brazilia, sold only in...you guessed it...Brazil, as seen here:

[www.geocities.com]

The chassis, once assembled with engines and runing gear were shipped directly from the VW factory to the Puma factory, where the Puma workers cut and shortened the chassis about 10 inches and completed teh car with the Puma bodies. Pumas were also sold in South Africa, Germany and were imported as kits (minus the engine and axles) here in the US.

It's a funny beast, ball joint front beam, but early style swing-axle rear suspension. These things are built to take on the rough South American roads, they would make good Baja Buggies as well as Porsche 356 style sports cars.

I've never heard of one of those but its cool

I'm in San Francisco and have owned several Puma's. I now have one with a six cylinder 911sc 3.2 motor with two 3 barrel carbs. It hauls ass. Tell me how to post pics and I will.

Paul

Well, this DOTS car has left the island of Alameda. With a tear in my eye, I wished it farewell as it was transported to a boat bound for Denmark. Yup, those Europeans are looking long and hard at the deals they can have on cars in the USA because of the current exchange rate being strongly in their favor.