From The Classifieds: 1994 Mark 1 Bufori

Few car platforms loaned themselves so readily to adaptation by imaginative kit-car or specialist low-volume builders as the original VW Beetle.

From Porsche 356 look-alikes to Italian exoticars, the rear-engined, swing-axled Beetle floorpan has been the starting point for the realisation of countless fantasies.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) the unavailability of old Beetles today (and the new floorpans sourced from Brazil when Beetles were still being built) has seen the virtual demise of these sometimes wondrous creations, but one of the most recent to be sold in Australia was the fantastically retro, 1930s-era sports car inspired Bufori Mark 1.

The soft-top Mark 1, which was introduced in 1988, was not the first Bufori (it was a development of the 1986 Bufori Madison), but it was the first to enter production and was the brainchild of Sydneysider Gerry Khouri who, along with brothers Anthony and George, originally established the company in the mid 1980s.

The Mark 1 Bufori two-seater was based on VW Beetle mechanicals, and to describe the fibreglass/Kevlar composite body as distinctive somewhat understates the case. It’s best to let the pictures tell the story.

The Mark I continued for many years, with this example built off new VW components in Maryland, Sydney, right at the end of the series when it was replaced by the Mark II in 1994.

Bufori production moved from Australia to Malaysia in 1997 and in 1999 the company was given a full motor vehicle manufacturing licence.

Bufori has moved on since the first Beetle-based car but still draws its inspiration from the 1930s era. As recently as 2010 it displayed a similarly-influenced four-door Mark IV model dubbed “Geneva” and claimed to be a challenger to Rolls-Royce and Bentley, at that year’s Geneva motor show. Naturally the VW Beetle connections have long since gone.

The connections remain though with this Mark 1, built at Bufori’s workshop in Sydney in 1993. It has covered 106,000km and is fitted with the 1.6-litre rear-mounted, air-cooled VW boxer engine, driving a manual four-speed transmission. With a kerb weight of just 830kg, the Beetle engine provides more punch than you might think.

Asking price is $19,900. Resplendent in white with black leather upholstery, the 1930s-inspired Bufori Mark 1 comes with a roadworthy certificate. The owner, who bought the car new from Gerry Khouri himself, understandably asks that only enthusiasts apply.

The Bufori name is an acronym derived from the words Beautiful, Unique, Fantastic, Original, Romantic and Irresistible. If any of those hit your buttons, this Mk 1 could be the car for you.