The Chamonix Spyder is a glass-fibre replica of the Porsche 550 Spyder, built in Brazil from 1982 by the firm Chamonix. It was created by Milton Masteguin, a former Puma constructor, and the American engineer Chuck Beck, and used Volkswagen mechanicals under 1950s-style bodywork.
Chamonix Spyder at a glance
| Maker | Chamonix Indústria e Comércio, Jarinu (São Paulo); later Chamonix NG Cars, São Paulo |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981, by Milton Masteguin and Chuck Beck |
| Model | Spyder, a replica of the Porsche 550 Spyder |
| Production from | 1982 |
| Body | glass fibre |
| Chassis | tubular |
| Engine | Volkswagen boxer, rear-mounted |
| Related model | Super 90 cabriolet (1985), a replica of the Porsche 356 C |
| Further model | Speedster (1985), based on the Porsche 356 |
| Output to the mid-1980s | about 2,500 cars stamped Chamonix |
| Basis | Porsche designs of the 1950s with current Volkswagen technology |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article is about the manufacturer Chamonix NG Cars and covers the Spyder as its first model. Short article for that reason.
History of the Chamonix Spyder
Chamonix was founded in 1981 in Jarinu, in the state of São Paulo, by Milton Masteguin and Chuck Beck. Masteguin had been a constructor of racing vehicles at Puma, the Brazilian sports-car maker he had helped to found; Chuck Beck was an American automotive engineer. The company specialised in glass-fibre replicas of 1950s Porsches built with contemporary Volkswagen technology, and it exported cars and body kits around the world. Until about 2011 the firm traded as Chamonix Indústria e Comércio; it later became Chamonix NG Cars, based in São Paulo, the “NG” standing for New Generation.
In 1982 Chamonix began building the Spyder, an open two-seater copying the Porsche 550 Spyder. Newton Masteguin, Milton’s son, had worked at the Puma factory and was a partner in Chamonix, directing the handmade manufacture of the replicas. Like the original, the Chamonix Spyder had a tubular chassis, a glass-fibre body and a rear-mounted engine, in this case Volkswagen air-cooled flat-four units rather than the Porsche four-cam racing engine of the 1950s car.
The Spyder was joined in 1985 by the Super 90 cabriolet, a replica of the 1964 Porsche 356 C; Chamonix had bought the moulds and manufacturing templates for that car from CBP, which had produced it years earlier as the Envemo. The Super 90 followed the Spyder in all its technical characteristics: glass-fibre bodywork, tubular chassis, Volkswagen mechanicals, 1,600 cc boxer engines of 54 hp, later 65 hp, and disc brakes at the front. Like the Spyder it had a rear engine, side windows and a convertible top. The Speedster, also introduced in 1985, was based on the Porsche 356-derived sports model of 1952 and shared the Super 90’s mechanicals.
From this period no fewer than 2,500 vehicles stamped Chamonix were produced. The Spyder 550 and the 356-based Speedster were the company’s main models. Chamonix also took part in projects for Autolatina, Fiat and Lada and, more recently, in the development of the Lobini, a Brazilian sports car.
Design and features
- Glass-fibre bodywork: a light, hand-laid shell in the style of the 1950s Porsche 550.
- Tubular chassis: the same construction principle as the original Spyder.
- Volkswagen mechanicals: air-cooled boxer engines and running gear that were cheap to service in Brazil.
- Rear engine: the layout of the original, with the engine behind the rear axle.
- Handmade production: cars assembled in small numbers at Jarinu.
Chamonix Spyder versions
- Spyder 550 (from 1982): the open replica of the Porsche 550 Spyder, the model that established the firm.
- Super 90 cabriolet (1985): a replica of the 1964 Porsche 356 C, with a 1,600 cc Volkswagen boxer of 54 hp, later 65 hp.
- Speedster (1985): based on the Porsche 356-derived Speedster of 1952, with the Super 90’s mechanicals.
- Body kits: the company also supplied kits for builders abroad.
Other Brazilian specialities of the same kind are described in the Chamonix collection.
Video: Kini Chamonix Spyder 550
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Chamonix NG Cars, English Wikipedia: company history, models, production