In today’s automotive space, it seems like every brand wants to have a presence in every possible market segment.
Back in the 1990s, the idea of Porsche manufacturing an SUV would have sounded outlandish, yet the Cayenne went on to become one of the brand’s most iconic models.
Kia, once viewed as a go-to for budget-conscious college students, now offers a ladder-frame pickup truck, while the Ford Mustang is available as an electric crossover.
Jeep, however, stands as a bit of an outlier, remaining focused on SUVs and pickups while most other brands are branching out into every niche they can cover.
Jeep is largely satisfied with its slice of the market and shows little interest in venturing too far outside of it. But this wasn’t always the case.
Once upon a time, back when the brand was still called “Willys-Overland Motors,” Jeep took a shot at marketing a sports car in South America. And this wasn’t even Willys-Overland’s only foray outside the off-road market.
Let’s start with a breakdown of the specs. Named after a racetrack in São Paulo, the Interlagos was offered in coupe, convertible, and berlinetta versions.
Both the coupe and convertible models were available with 845cc and 904cc engines, while the sport-tuned 998cc engine was reserved for the berlinetta model.
If these engine specifications sound familiar to European enthusiasts, that’s because the Interlagos was, in essence, an Alpine A108.
This 1966 model carried the same Renault engine options as the French fiberglass-bodied two-door, used identical body designs and interior features, and delivered performance comparable to the Alpine A108.
Simply put, it was an Alpine A108 in every respect except for the badge and the automaker behind it.
For those curious about the Interlagos’s racing performance, yes, it did indeed compete on the track for which it was named.
Two of these cars entered the 1,000 Miles of Brazil endurance race at Interlagos in 1967, where they managed to finish in 21st and 22nd places.
The origins of the Jeep brand are a bit tangled. Willys-Overland first rose to prominence when it won a government contract to produce the “Army Truck” for the U.S. military during World War II.
This success led the company to roll out civilian versions under the CJ, or Civilian Jeep, line in the postwar period.
In 1953, Willys-Overland was acquired by Kaiser Motors and later set up production in Brazil in hopes of expanding its market to counter slower sales in the U.S.
The original plan had been to produce vehicles in Brazil and then sell them in the American market, but that vision never materialized. Instead, Willys found itself manufacturing French race cars in South America, all under a North American name.
