Bianco (cars)

Bianco was a Brazilian automobile company, based in Diadema (SP)

History

Launched at the São Paulo Auto Show in 1976, the company was founded by Toni Bianco (racing car designer, who designed the first Brazilian Formula 3) to produce bodywork in reinforced plastic and fiberglass and using Volkswagen mechanics and engines. Its main models were the Bianco Furia (also called Bianco S) and the Bianco Tarpan.

With bold, European lines for the time, the Bianco was a sales success at the 1976 saloon, with over 180 units being traded at this event and its monthly production run was around 20 units.

In 1978, the company used the New York International Auto Show to launch its new model, the Bianco Series 2. In addition to New York, Bianco also exhibited at the Argentina Show, where it won awards.

Reasonably successful for a Brazilian company in the 1970s, Bianco closed its doors in 1979 due to a disagreement between its partners.

Models

Bianco S

Bianco S or Bianco Furia, because its lines are similar to the GT Furia from Fúria Auto Esporte (also designed by Toni Bianco and assembled by Toni and Vittorio Massari, with mechanics from Alfa Romeo), was the "boss car" of the company. With sportive and bold design for the time, being this the main sales attraction in its launching, in 1976, its body is made of reinforced plastic and fiberglass, it has a big windshield and sinuous fenders (trademark and registered style of the company), front trunk, besides the two wide side doors and the rear lanterns used from the Opala, added to the four round headlights in the front; The model already had safety items, such as anti-roll bars and reinforced sheet metal sides in case of collision. Made by hand, its original items, such as the steering wheel, were supplied in varnished wood rim, besides the dashboard, console, and leather upholstery.

It uses a 1600 cc air-cooled boxer engine with 65 horsepower and two 32 single-body carburetors, i.e., the platform of a Volkswagen Beetle or Brasilia, with a speed of 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 17,7 seconds and a top speed of 146 km/h (146 mph).

Bianco 2 Series

Bianco 2 Series, or Bianco SS, was launched in 1978 at the New York International Auto Show. Originally, the model retained the lines of the Bianco S, but minor external and internal changes were made, such as openings for engine ventilation on the sides and rear skirt and elimination of hood slots, as well as better sealing against water and dust, new seats and three-point seatbelts, among other small details.

Bianco Tarpan

Bianco Tarpan or just Tarpan, was launched at the 1978 São Paulo Auto Show aiming at the foreign market (export) and to do so, it was necessary to adapt the body with retractable bumpers, modifying, in a lot, the front design and using only two headlights, instead of the previous four. Although the front lines became more up-to-date, their style was at odds with the rest of the car, which remained unchanged.

At the time of its launch, it was announced to use VW's 1600 cc. water-cooled AP engines. However, it was only with the Tarpan TS that this change was adopted, together with the use of the 96 hp engine from the Z Passat TS and disc brakes on the four wheels. The Tarpan model was not produced by Bianco, because the company did not have the structure to meet the demand and thus, resold the model, being manufactured by Tarpan Indústria e Comércio de Fiberglass, which produced it until 1981 and the "TS", until 1983, but with few units manufactured.

See Also

• Adamo
• Brasinca
• Corona
• Farus
• Hofstetter
• Miura
• Puma
• Santa Matilde
• Sociedade Técnica de Veículos (STV)
• Wladimir Martins Veículos (WMV)
• Aurora