Puma Rome
The mark "Puma" Rome is the only company that continued to produce items similar to those Buggies. Its beginnings date back to the seventies and was imposed as one of the most appreciated companies in the sector. Buggy made the classic American "Desert", always using mechanical Volkswagen, and marketed under the name "Puma" at the price of 1,300,000 lire with motor preparation or 440,000 lire in mounting kit.
A copy of the Buggy "Puma" in 1974 was the protagonist of the film "Altrimenti ci arrabbiamo" played by Bud Spencer and Terence Hill.
This Buggy could be equipped with hard roof and opening doors with type-gabiota "(absolute novelty in this type of vehicle). With the name "pulci of the desert", the company founded by Adriano Gatto was devoted to the simple conversion of the Custom "Maggiolino 1200" (VW Beetle) by providing it, among other things, elongated fender fiberglass, and wide wheels that exceeded the limits of the body.
Later, in the eighties, Puma went to the construction of a sports car, the "Big Brother", made with VW engine 1200 "Maggiolino" and available in kit assembly. Equipped with body vitroresina and a line of particularly attractive and aerodynamics, the "Big Brother" took some sporting aesthetic concepts of the past as the grille of the lunette later recalled that much of the Lamborghini "Miura", lights fairings, etc ...
The last engine model was mounted 50-hp 1500 Volkswagen ever. The maximum speed of the "Big Brother 1300," according to its builder, was 150 km / h and its consumption of 7 liters of L00 kilometers. The factory also produced a Roman similar model called "GTV-033." This sporty, available in kit assembly, was similar in appearance to the "Big Brother" and differed by the headlights and the possibility of raising the ceiling entirely hard as a Spider. The last model produced, was a model with Alfa Romeo boxer engine, 4-cylinder 1186 cc water-cooled, capable of developing 63 hp at 6000 rpm and reaching 180 km / h. Puma produced some copies of a vehicle whose lines were inspired by a Jeep called "Ranch", which was equipped with a VW engine of 1385 cc. and used a type of original tubular chassis.