Our Blog 4/2023

Valdir Fauirin twin engined special
historicracing.com

Now then! The history of motoring has seen any number of twin-engined adventures, usually to nobody’s worthwhile benefit. But this wonderful little, Brazilian, home-build race car from 1971, was a bit special. Even for that sphere of novelty.

19-Apr-23 historicracing.com

Now then! The history of motoring has seen any number of twin-engined adventures, usually to nobody’s worthwhile benefit. But this wonderful little, Brazilian, home-build race car from 1971, was a bit special. Even for that sphere of novelty.

Its builder was one Valdir Fauirin, from Cascavel in the southern state of Parana (a town blessed with its own race circuit). And he saw no reason at all why having two engines, implies that you should pander to the conventional wisdom of employing a pair from the very same mould!

In the front then, Valdir has lovingly installed an example of your traditional, 1600cc, air-cooled, Volkswagen Flat-4. Unusually located perhaps, but otherwise, fair enough.

But haul yourself astern, and you’ll discover that he’s sought to boost his already bright prospects, with the cunning addition of a 2600cc, water-cooled, V/8 Simca unit.

Apparently the multiplication factors also applied to gearboxes and throttle pedals!

Not a world beater perhaps, but entertaining enough to keep our man on the tracks, and decidedly busy in the cockpit, for three, whole seasons! And it even spawned a successor. When in 1974, he unveiled his Mk2 version.



The Simca still lurks out back. But the VW bits have now been supplanted by a locally built, 2000cc, 4-cylinder Ford.

Sadly though, Valdir seems to have used up all of his stack of chopped-strand-mat. Since the installation of the for’ard motivational factor, somehow falls short of the stylish elegance deployed by its celebrated predecessor.

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