August 2023 • By Tony Thacker
Presented by HandHFlatheads.com, MicksPaint.com and USAutomotive.co.uk

I recently wrote a piece for Hot Rod Magazine about a ’34 coupe being built at Troy Ladd’s Hollywood Hot Rods in Burbank, California. The tin was being hammered by Marcio Luz who moved to the US from Curitiba, the hot rod capitol of Brazil. Who knew Brazil even had a hot rod capitol and who knew there was even a Brazilian Kustom Kulture beyond the ‘house of wax.’ There is, it’s rockin’ and we went to check it out.

Thanks to Marcio’s hook up, Troy Ladd, pinstriper Mike Mazooma and I were invited down to Brazil for the Santa Catarina Custom Show (SCCS)—the biggest on the Brazilian calendar. Launched in 2011 by husband and wife Mirella and Rodrigo Huelsmann and their friend Sonia Pimentel, SCCS celebrated its 11th edition in the new Convention Center in the beach resort town of Balneário Camboriú known as BC.

Located 380 miles south of São Paulo, BC has a motorsports history reaching back to some Daytona-style beach racing in the 1930s. Of course, Brazil has a long motorsports history and has produced 32 F1 drivers including World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna—both three-time Champions.

Brazil’s automotive history actually dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century. Henry Ford opened a plant in São Paulo in 1921 and the infamous Fordlandia rubber plantation in 1928.  In 1958, Ford expanded and began manufacturing the Y-block-powered F-100. In 1973 they launched the stylish Maverick that went on to become the Mustang of Brazil. GM, meanwhile, was not far behind and opened a São Paulo plant in 1930. A second plant opened in 1958 and in ’68 they launched the Opala—not to be confused with the Impala—but because it had a six and not an eight the small-block Chevy V-8 is a hard-to-find, expensive luxury while Ford and Chrysler V-8s appear plentiful.

Without doubt though the market leader in Brazil was VW with the Type 1 Beetle, known locally as the ‘Fusca’ and its derivatives in particular the Type 2 ‘Kombi’. During its 24-year run beginning in 1953, VW produced more than 20 million vehicles and more than 3 million Beetle/Fuscas before ceasing production in 1986. Due to demand, Beetle production was kick-started in 1993 but ceased forever in 1996. If you’re a Beetle-VW fan, Brazil is the place to see numerous variants rarely seen outside South America.

The Custom Show obviously reflects the domestic car industry—there were a ton of VWs, Mavericks and similar, but-not-quite-the-same Chevy and Ford trucks, however, American influences are everywhere from restaurants such as TGI Friday’s at the airport to a hot rod T-shirt for every back. Unfortunately, despite the obvious enthusiasm of Brazil’s 215 million people, cars, parts and merchandise are expensive due to rising shipping costs and import duties.

The upside of Brazil’s distance from the US is their growing do-it-yourself movement that sees guys such as Lucas Renan of LRV Garage building their own English wheels and companies such as Nene Hot Rod who make their own suspension components, Coelho Safari who makes replacement VW windows and Carlos Garage that builds superb steel bodies.  Brazil even has its own printed Garagem Old School Magazine published by Ricardo Kruppa.

In fact, show creator and industrial designer Rodrigo Huelsmann is one of the most prolific fabricators I have ever met. We visited his shop where he designs and builds everything from scale trains for the local theme park industry to hot rods and customs for himself and wife Mirella. Rodrigo’s next big project is Roddertown a large, mini-mall located in Balneário Camboriú and dedicated to American hot rod culture. The 40-unit Roddertown was breaking ground as we left town and is due to open at the end of 2024 and will add yet another attraction to this bustling, year-round resort.

I don’t think the Custom Show really has a direct American equivalent except perhaps Viva Las Vegas or the Suede Palace at the Grand National Roadster Show because it’s a high-energy mash up of car show, concert with three stages, pin-up contest, swap meet and much much more. Attracting somewhere north of 35,000 spectators, some from as far away as Argentina and Uruguay, it’s a truly international event and no doubt the biggest south of the Equator.

I can’t remember when I have had so much fun at an indoor car show nor met such nice, friendly people dedicated to the preservation of American Kustom Kulture. If you ever get the chance to visit Brazil and the Santa Catarina Custom Show—GO!

 Ford more information about future events visist: www.SCCustomShow.com.BR