Gurgel G-15: the van and pickup of the X-15 family

The Gurgel G-15 was produced in van and pickup forms as part of the company’s utility range. Its design followed the X-15, it used the same engine as the X-12, and it was rated to carry about 1,200 kg.

Gurgel G-15 at a glance

Based on one source: the G-15 has a short entry in the Portuguese Wikipedia and no article in English.

History of the Gurgel G-15

Part of the utility line

The G-15 belonged to the utility side of Gurgel’s range, which was built around Volkswagen mechanicals and bodies of reinforced plastic. It was offered as a van — the Portuguese sources call it a monovolume — and as a pickup, both sharing the squared-off appearance of the X-15.

Mechanicals

The engine was the same as the one used in the X-12 jeep, mounted in the front and driving the rear wheels. The G-15 was rated for a load of about 1,200 kg, which put it among the working vehicles of the range rather than the passenger cars. Detailed production figures for the model are not recorded in the sources used here.

Design and features

• Van and pickup bodies: the same chassis offered as a closed van or an open load bed.
• X-15 styling: flat panels and a square outline shared with the earlier utility.
• 1,200 kg payload: a working load rating rather than a passenger-car figure.
• Familiar mechanics: the X-12 engine kept servicing and parts simple.

Gurgel G-15 versions

• Van: the closed monovolume body.
• Pickup: the open-bed version.

The G-15 sat between the X-12 jeep, whose engine it used, and the Itaipu E400, which was based on the G800. More cars are in the Gurgel collection.

Video: Restauração chassis Gurgel G15, part 1

Video by Andre on YouTube.

Sources

• Gurgel G-15, Portuguese Wikipedia: bodies, styling, engine, payload