Gurgel BR-800
The Gurgel BR-800 is a Brazilian city car produced by Gurgel between 1988 and early 1992. The project started under the acronym CENA, meaning "National Economical Car" ("Carro Econômico NAcional", in Portuguese), designed to be essentially a small car for urban daily use. It received great attention and good reviews from critics, regarding the mechanic solutions, comfort, drivability and stability. When it was introduced in September 1987, the car was named the Gurgel 280 but by the time sales started it was changed to the BR-800. The car could only be purchased if the buyer also bought 750 shares in Gurgel, making it considerably more expensive than the much bigger and more capable Chevrolet Chevette, the then cheapest new car available in Brazil.
| Gurgel BR-800 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Gurgel |
| Also called | Gurgel 280 |
| Production | 1988-1992 |
| Assembly | Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Designer | João do Amaral Gurgel |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | City car (A) |
| Body style | 2–door sedan |
| Layout | front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Related | Gurgel Motomachine |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 792 cc Enertron H2 |
| Transmission | four-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 1,900 mm (75 in) |
| Length | 3,195 mm (126 in) |
| Width | 1,460 mm (57 in) |
| Height | 1,460 mm (57 in) |
| Curb weight | 650 kg (1,433 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Gurgel Supermini |
The project was favoured by Brazil's then-president, José Sarney, who ensured large unsecured loans for Gurgel's project and also allowed it to be sold at an especially low sales tax. Nonetheless, only about 4,000 were built in around four years of production.