Brazilian '76 Ford F-100 Bumpside factory-fitted with the 2.3L OHC 4-cylinder engine

It's already well reported the Brazilian production run of the full-size Ford trucks/utes/bakkies usually were one or two generations behind their international counterparts, so the Bumpside arrived only after its phaseout in the United States, and actually soldiering on for a timeframe of three generations until it was replaced by the Bricknose, which on its turn had already been superseded by the Aeronose which had a much shorter production run in Brazil. Among some features exclusive to Brazil, both in order to keep up with local content regulations and to save on expensive retoolings of its Ipiranga factory which was located in the Ipiranga borough of São Paulo city, there was a 4-cylinder version of the F-100 with the 2.3L OHC engine made in Taubaté from '76 to '85. The oil crisis was hitting hard in Brazil, where the F-100 used to be fitted only with Y-Block V8 engines prior to a local introduction of the 2.3L OHC, and a Diesel derivative named F-1000 which in fact was basically some sort of short-body equivalent to the American F-250 featuring an outsourced 4-cylinder engine meant for agricultural machinery quickly tuned for truck usage to address an urgent need for increased fuel efficiency back in '79.

Most Americans often think I'm saying in jest whenever I mention the 4-cyl version of the F-100, which also had the option for gasoline or ethanol-powered trims of the OHC engine, while it's much easier (or less difficult) to spot the gasser. That's precisely the case of this '76 F-100, which I quickly recognised as the 4-cylinder version due to the badge on both sides of the bonnet. Odd enough, no 6-cylinder was available for the Bumpside Ford in Brazil until a 221cu.in. (3.6L) Thriftpower Six made in Argentina started being imported from Argentina to Brazil in the early '80s for an ethanol-powered version of the F-1000 which in fact never outsold its Diesel-powered counterpart. And even the F-100 started to have a lower sales volume at that moment due to competition with the Diesel-powered F-1000 in a Brazil, so the limited availability of the 4-cylinder F-100 through an entire 20-year Brazilian production run of the Bumpside Ford from '72 to '92 already makes it quite rare, not to mention some conversions to either V8 (usually the 302 Windsor) or Diesel which also had their peaks of popularity. 

The owner of this '76 F-100 told me the truck has been with his family since new, bought by his father who also owned a Maverick with this same engine (also in a Brazilian specific version). He also told me the truck was never restored, which is even more impressive for a nearly 50-years old truck. And one thing I'm sure, such a rare Brazil-specific trim of the Bumpside Ford will definitely catch attention even from a Chevrolet-loving redneck, such as myself...

The 2nd-generation Chevrolet Trailblazer is an example of why it was a bad move from GM to retreat from most right-hand drive markets

Initially released in 2012, made initially in Thailand and Brazil with additional production in India and Russia added at a later stage, the 2nd-generation Chevrolet Trailblazer has been made since 2020 only in Brazil, and received another refresh for the 2025 model-year, including independent rear suspension which improved the riding comfort compared to previous model-years which still had a rear solid axle just like the Chevrolet Colorado truck it derived from. Having been fitted with 2.5L and 2.8L 4-cylinder turbodiesel engines in Thai and Indian versions, with a 3.6L gasoline-powered V6 available in the Thai model as an export-only option which had also been offered in Brazilian and Russian trims, since 2020 it has been made only in Brazil, and at least since 2022 with the 2.8L turbodiesel exclusively, after GM retreated from most right-hand drive markets including Thailand and Australia. It might be perceived by some folks as "outdated", but it's still among the best of its class, and now with independent suspension all-around it would be still desirable in some markets where GM unfortunately retreated, not limited to Australia or Thailand where the Chevrolet Colorado was also available (rebadged as a Holden for the Australian market as usual) but also in South Africa and India where GM retreated earlier in late-2017 while Isuzu kept making its badge-engineered versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and Trailblazer. All while Chinese companies such as SAIC and Liuzhou Wuling which already had some affiliation with GM took over some of its former branches in countries such as India...

Was the Volkswagen Kombi at some moment more relevant than the Beetle itself?

It's undeniable there would be no Kombi without the Beetle, but it's quite obvious the boxy bodyshell of the good ol' Kombi took the versatility of the Volkswagen air-cooled engine and rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout to a further extent. From a small cargo freighter to a family hauler before minivans were so widespread, going further to become the perfect mobile lodging for hippies, ultimately the Kombi made itself as much famous as the Beetle, and maybe was favored by some more lenient regulations to which a commercial vehicle could get away with. But ultimately, how accurate could it be to claim the Kombi took over some of the appreciation which was supposed to be most devouted to the Beetle?

It's worth to notice how the Kombi effectively outlived the Beetle on regular production worldwide, and even the outdated Brazilian facelifted Kombi from '76 to '96 retained a foothold on CKD assemblies for markets where its European and South African replacements were deemed too expensive to be a viable contender against an emerging competition from Japanese and Korean automakers in the '70s and '80s, even in Indonesia where in '85 the Kombi assembled from Brazilian CKD kits was the only Volkswagen model available prior to the brand being phased out to only return to Indonesia in the '90s without the Brazilian Kombi or the Mexican Beetle, and less commited to its roots as the people's car. Meanwhile in Brazil, as the Beetle had been phased out in '86 to only resume production from '93 to '96 on what got known as the Itamar series due to direct involvement of former Brazilian president Itamar Franco, the Kombi remained the only true-blooded rear-engined Volkswagen in Brazil from '86 to '93, and started to face serious competition for the first time in '90 when restrictions on vehicle imports implemented in '76 were finally lifted by former president Fernando Collor de Mello, paving the way for imported vans such as Korean copies of the Mazda Bongo to a Spanish-made Mercedes-Benz which had its fair share of the market for ambulances in the '90s. And even the return of the Beetle to the Brazilian market was conditioned to the Kombi receiving the same benefits provided for the Beetle under the people's car program, to which an amendment had to be made so the air-cooled 1.6L engine would be in pair with liquid-cooled 1.0L engines from then-modern compact cars in order to qualify for a lower taxation.

Sure from a logistical standpoint it would make more sense to import a few Mexican Beetles, where it was only phased out in 2003, than to resume production in Brasil for only 3 years from late-'93 until mid-'96, in contrast to the Kombi which against all odds soldiered on until 2013 in Brazil after fewer updated which included the replacement of the air-cooled engine for a water-cooled 1.4L EA-111 in a flexfuel trim which enabled it to run on gasoline and ethanol either pure or blended. Maybe it was much easier for most people on the market for a compact car to transition from the Beetle to whichever could be deemed more modern, while the Kombi still influenced even its Japanese contenders which tended to retain the forward-control configuration, despite retaining a conservative front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration which would trade-off some mild off-road ability to easier access to the loading bay. In the end, even though the Beetle and its worldwide success paved the way for the Kombi, later on it was proven harder to single-out an effective replacement for the Beetle other than the Kombi itself under some specific circumstances where the rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout remained favorable for driving through rough terrain, and ultimately the Kombi remained relevant as some of its more serious contenders still drew inspiration from its design somehow.

Brazilian Chevrolet Alvorada

Brazilian car manufacturing history had its fair share of country-specific models, often dictated by some local content regulations when production volumes and the overall economy didn't seem to justify much investment to keep up with the same standards of other markets which were either more mature or less strict to a higher foreign content. A good example of such was the Chevrolet Alvorada (Sunrise), which was a double-cab derivative of the Chevrolet 3100 Brasil. Applying some styling cues of the Task Force series to the same cabin of the previous Advance Design series, the Chevrolet Brasil series ran from '58 until '64 when it was replaced by the first local variant of the C-Series, and the Alvorada ran from '61 to '63. It was only factory-fitted with the 4-bearing 261cu.in. straight-6 gasoline engine and a 3-speed manual transmission, but this '63 Chevrolet Alvorada that I spotted at the parking lot of Fenac in Novo Hamburgo at the Expoclassic 2024 had been converted to Diesel, most likely with a Perkins engine such as the 4-236 or Q20B which were offered in Brazilian versions of the C-Series through the '80s until mid-'90s.

Why the 4WD version of the Ford Pampa was not as successful as it could have been in the Brazilian market?

In a country where imported cars used to be roughly impossible for the ordinary people to get, which ended up being a reason for the Japanese compact/mid-size trucks taking much longer than everywhere else to become a major player, car-derived coupé-utilities had their fair share of the market, and Brazil had models such as the Ford Pampa which was made from '82 to '97 with 4WD versions from '84 to '95. Also intended as an indirect replacement to Jeep-derived models which Ford kept producing in Brazil after taking over the local branch of Willys-Overland, the need for a 4WD version was envisioned by Ford, which is still the only model of its class to have ever been factory-fitted with such option. Unlike the front-wheel drive versions, which eventually also got the options for a 5-speed manual transmission and the 1.8L Volkswagen EA827 engine in the context of the AutoLatina joint-venture implemented in Brazil and Argentina (where the Ford Pampa was never available through official Ford dealerships), the 4WD always had the 1.6L Renault-derived CHT engine and 4-speed manual transmission only.

The odd differential gear ratios, which were 4.125:1 for the front axle and 3.54:1 for the rear axle, with the transmission-mounted power take-off which drove the Dana 30 rear axle having a 1.167:1 ratio as an attempt to compensate for those odd differential ratios, are often pointed out to be among the reasons why the system was considered unreliable. Sure it was not meant to be used on paved pathways, unless there were slippy conditions, so the absence of a center differential renders it suitable only for usage on rough terrains, just like most part-time 4WD systems still fitted to some modern vehicles to which some full-time or automatic 4WD system is deemed unsuitable or too costly. And since the 4WD version was meant mostly as a practical workhorse instead of becoming a recreational or "lifestyle" vehicle, maybe the fitment of the 4-speed transmission and CHT engine without the option for the upgrade to a 5-speed transmission and the Volkswagen engine could be considered reasonable by Ford because most buyers would have a more austere work-oriented profile, even though there were segments which could be better served by a more versatile vehicle with either an improved on-road performance or some engine with a greater emphasis on fuel-efficiency and aptitude to work, such as the 1.6L Diesel version of the Volkswagen engine.

Ground clearance could have been increased too, also considering how the Japanese compact/mid-size trucks and even some American models had different ground clearances and tire sizes between 2WD and 4WD versions back in the day, yet it would most likely involve other changes deemed too costly for a Brazil-specific model which ended up having a low production volume. Maybe adapting the exterior design of the Ford Pampa to a modified structure, in order to fit a rear-wheel biased driveline in order to have some parts commonality with the early Jeep derivative it was intended to replace, would render it more suitable to heavier duty and fulfill expectations of professional operators who were more familiar with a traditional dual-range 4WD system resorting to a proper transfer case instead of the PTO fitted to the transmission. Sure there were some other market-related reasons in Brazil which rendered the 4WD Pampa uncompetitive, such as the rear-engined Volkswagen Transporter still being a major player and the Toyota Bandeirante (a local J40 derivative) featuring a Diesel engine, but a somewhat lazy approach to implement the 4WD system might have been part of the problem.

Brazilian Ford F-1000 Bumpside with an old-school aftermarket double-cab conversion

Nowadays it's pretty well known Brazil had a much different market landscape for full-size trucks from the '60s to the '90s, and leisure-oriented double-cab conversions used to be quite popular mostly due to a restriction on the usage of Diesel engines according to the payload or passenger capacity of vehicles, unless they had 4-wheel drive with a dual-range transfer case (or a crawler 1st gear if the transfer case was a single-speed unit). As the Ford F-1000 matched the payload criteria, carrying one metric ton, the Diesel engine option had its appeal to some folks who would otherwise choose a full-size sedan, and so a double-cab was needed in order to use it as a family hauler.

Mostly due to Volkswagen's influence, Brazilian buyers favored 2-door bodystyles for a long time, and it was no different with the dual-cab conversions, even though panoramic rear windows were usually fitted below the waistline. In this '86 Ford F-1000, the rear bench seat can be unfolded into some sort of sofa-bed.

Was it a mistake from Honda to phase out the pushrod engine of the CG 125 in Brazil.

Probably the most widely copied motorcycle on a worldwide basis, the 5th-generation of the Honda CG 125 released in late-'99 was the last one to be fitted with a pushrod engine in Brazil until being phased out locally in 2009, in a time when some small competitors brought Chinese copies for CKD assembly while Honda switched to the same OHC layout carried over from the international Honda CB 125 at the time, yet the name CG is so strong in Brazil it was retained despite still being mostly used elsewhere on motorcycles fitted with OHV/pushrod valvetrain. Sure Brazil following stricter emission standards than places such as Pakistan where the pushrod engine is still available in Euro-2 trim with carburettor, or even the United States where a less stringent regulation applied to motorcycles enabled the grey import of small-displacement motorcycles from Mexico in a seemingly legal way covered by the NAFTA free trade agreement, would seem to prevent the pushrod engine to remain available in the CG, but in fact it seems like emission regulations were not a justifiable reason for the Brazilian phaseout of the pushrod engine. Just like many other engine manufacturers keep up with modern features such as electronic fuel injection which has been effectively widespread on motorcycles in the Brazilian market since 2009, and it still could be fitted by Honda itself to the pushrod engine like it's nowadays also fitted in China to the pushrod engine by its official joint-ventures for the domestic market as the emission laws there became tighter there, yet remaining less stringent in many export markets where a carburettor is still prefered, an actual demand for such a simple valvetrain design is still the driving force (no pun intended) for the Honda CG 125 having become the most copied motorcycle ever.

While small enterprises which resorted to outsourcing for local CKD assembly of Chinese copies of the pushrod Honda CG 125 eventually went away for the most diverse reasons, including lack of emissions compliance as many retained a carburettor until it was no longer viable to retain resonable performance levels, it's still fairly common to spot the original model in Brazilian streets being used for actual work, to which the reliability of the pushrod engine under the harshest conditions is a valuable asset, because the lack of a timing chain leads most riders to regard this engine as a less maintenance-intensive option to newer OHC models which have a timing chain and its tensioners to require inspection and sometimes a replacement. Of course EFI would be a desirable feature had the pushrod engine remained available in Brazil, mostly because of eventual improvements to the fuel savings it could result, and other measures such as the oil-squirt for piston cooling added for the 2004 model-year of the Honda CG 125 in Brazil enabled the engine to run leaner instead of relying on a richer air/fuel ratio simply as a cooling aid at the expenses of the higher hydrocarbons (HC) emissions which are basically unburnt fuel being wasted through the exhaust. Considering how the old pushrod Honda CG 125 and its international derivatives are still directed toward a more conservative buying pattern wherever they remain available, and also the pushrod 125 was retained from 2004 when the OHC CG 150 was released in Brazil to 2009 when EFI became standard for the 150 and a carburettor-fed 125 OHC version always fitted only with a kick starter meant to replace the pushrod 125 was also introduced, and the OHC 125 would only receive EFI from 2016 to 2019 when it was phased out in Brazil with the local models of the CG retaining only the 160 engine introduced in 2016, it can be argued the economics of scale dictated the phaseout of the pushrod engine more than emission regulations.

Sure keeping a separate engine exclusively for entry-level utilitarian motorcycles, to which the price is a more critical aspect than for a leisure-oriented model usually with a more sophisticated engine, can be harder to justify once it's remembered Honda haven't gone as far as some Chinese factories which have made larger-displacement versions ranging from 150 to 200cc, and sometimes they go as far as 250cc with liquid cooling in order to be used in cargo tricycles and other special vehicles. Definitely resorting to different displacement ranges with the same basic project, while retaining the dependability of the pushrod engine for harsher conditions to which a chain-driven OHC valvetrain would be less desirable, could still give Honda an advantage to retain so many conservative riders who are still out there, yet left behind from the new motorcycles market in Brazil. While a pushrod layout would still enable the usage of a timing chain in larger engines such as a Harley-Davidson Milwaukee Eight fitted to the current generation of the Big Twins or the Ford Godzilla fitted to full-size trucks, the simpler gear-driven layout of the valvetrain in the Honda CG 125 engine was also important to consolidate the preference in Brazil for 4-stroke engines and put an end to the former dominance of Vespa and Lambretta in the market for small-displacement motorcycles, and to a minor extent in other countries where 2-stroke motorcycles were only phased out due to carburettors remaining common, so maybe it was a mistake for Honda to simply phase the pushrod CG 125 engine in Brazil while there was still some room for improvements.

A somewhat grassroots reinterpretation of the Easy Rider motorcycles?

Just like Harley-Davidson used to be "the standard of the world" when it comes to motorcycles, maybe now this title belongs to the Suzuki GN 125, better known in Brazil as Suzuki Intruder 125 and widely appreciated due to its affordability and a better aftermarket support than so many Chinese motorcycles with random copies of the Honda CG 125 engine which were dumped into the local market for a while.

The classic appearance of the GN 125, which is no longer available new in Brazil mostly due to some emission regulations, yet still available in many other countries where small-displacement motorcycles meant to be used as a daily commuter outsell the large-displacement ones more oriented toward strictly recreational riders, naturally ends up catering to those looking for something which may even resemble the nostalgia appeal strongly tied with the Harley-Davidson brand image.

Usage of cellphone networks as an alternative to landlines: an option which may make more sense than it would be supposed to

The usage of mobile telephone networks as an alternative to provide a service analogue to landlines in rural areas is, to a limited extent, still relatively common in my homeland Brazil, and to be honest there were times it could address the needs of urban customers too. Sure it would eventually be simpler to use just a regular mobile phone for such service, yet it's relatively easy to find cellphones meant to be used the same way as a landline phone, also enabling the usage as a (usually 4G) internet router according to the data packages available from the carriers. However, excepting some rural areas where the service is subsidized and has no traffic limit, nowadays most mobile carriers only offer data packages with limited traffic requiring customers to either buy additional data packages (also usually with some monthly limit to the purchase of such additional packages) or a decrease to the connection speed which is often worse than the old dial-up connection and then basically leads to an unsuitability for most of the modern usage of the internet. Had the possibility of using the cellphone networks instead of landlines being offered to urban customers with the same benefits, it would be much easier for some users who need portability due to moving more frequently than usual such as military personell, or simply as a better choice than having to wait for a technician to come by and install telephone and broadband internet wiring at a rental apartment in an older building where the entire infrastructure would require retrofits to enable a telephone or internet company to provide the service. As a former user of what used to be known as Ruralcel, maybe I would still be using such service as it seemed so practical when the 3G internet speed was still reasonable for most of my usage at home, and even the reduced speed once I reached the limit remained suitable for a fairly normal usage.

Why was the Honda XR 200R fairly successful in Brazil during the '90s and early 2000s?

The motorcycles market in Brazil tends to revolve around low to intermediate displacement models, as they are seen both as a leisure-oriented vehicle and as a workhorse or daily commuter to which a lower cost of ownership is a critical feature. Back in the day when the 125cc displacement range was still the most usual for entry-level motorcycles, even a slight increase would be perceived as somewhat upscale in the eyes of a budget-conscious motorcyclist. An example of how such circumstances influenced the tastes of some motorcyclists up to now is the Brazilian Honda XR 200R which had a production run for the domestic market from '93 to 2001. A fairly competent motorcycle for amateur off-roaders, and even for novice cross-country/enduro riders, yet still affordable for the average Joe to ride daily to work or to use it effectively as a professional tool, it's still relatively easy to spot a XR 200 in some of the biggest cities in Brazil such as my hometown Porto Alegre as well as in the countryside. Seating is comfortable for tall riders, yet safe for median-stature riders who remain able to leave at least one foot on the ground while standing still, and the long-travel suspensions provide a relatively smooth ride either on unpaved pathways or paved streets and roads in a state of disrepair. A versatile motorcycle, which used to also be perceived as more "aspirational" than simpler models more often associated with the stereotypes about motorcycle couriers in Brazil, and so was favored by budget-oriented motorcyclists back in the day, the Honda XR 200R was successful in Brazil due to its balance of suitability to different needs, a beautiful design reminiscent of the competition-level enduro motorcycles during the timeframe of its production run, and some ease of maintenance enabling some of this model to remain in use today.