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Witness History: The car that charmed Brazil

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The car that charmed Brazil

09/09/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, The car that charmed Brazil

How the Brazilian version of the VW Beetle, the Fusca, won a special place in the nation's heart.

Since its launch in the 1950s, the Brazilian version of the VW Beetle has had a special place in the nation's heart. Cheap, charismatic and virtually indestructible, it was many Brazilians' first car and is affectionately known as the Fusca. 

The Fusca played a key role in the development of Brazil's economically and politically vital national car industry. 

In 2014, Candace Piette spoke to two Fusca superfans, Silio Boccanera and Edivaldo Fernandes.  

(Photo: A Fusca in the colonial town of Paraty. Credit: Getty Images)

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