Brazilians "prospect" rusty Kombis in Brazil for R$ 5,000, spend about R$ 220,000 on each, and send them to the USA, where they exceed R$ 400,000 at auctions.

Brazilians “prospect” rusty Kombis in Brazil for R$ 5,000, spend about R$ 220,000 on each, and send them to the USA, where they exceed R$ 400,000 at auctions.

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 01/06/2026 at 15:16

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Jaime Morais and Alexandre Gonçalves buy old Kombis in Brazil, invest up to R$ 220,000 in artisanal restoration, and take the models to auctions in the United States, where some exceed R$ 400,000

Old Kombis found in Brazil for values between R$ 5,000 and R$ 10,000 have become the basis of a restoration business aimed at the U.S. collectors’ market. For 12 years, Jaime Morais and Alexandre Gonçalves have been restoring destroyed vehicles, investing up to R$ 220,000 per unit, and have already sold 26 restored models at American auctions.

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Restored Kombi is born from nearly condemned vehicles

The operation begins with the search for old Kombis in critical condition. Many were used by market vendors, became covered in rust, or reached a point where they would be seen only as scrap.

After purchase, the work moves to a long and artisanal stage. The vehicle is completely dismantled for sheet replacement, door reconstruction, rust removal, and recovery of the electrical, suspension, mechanical, and paint parts.

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Restoration can reach up to R$ 220,000 per vehicle

The investment is one of the central parts of the business. According to Jaime Morais, one of the partners at AJ Revival, each project costs between R$ 150,000 and R$ 180,000 just in restoration.

When transportation, documentation, logistics, and shipping to the United States are included, the total cost can reach R$ 220,000 per vehicle.

The amount shows that the operation does not rely solely on the cheap purchase of scrap but on an expensive and specialized process.

The Kombis leave the Port of Santos in containers, usually with two cars per shipment. The initial destination is the port of Houston, Texas. Afterward, the vehicles head to Las Vegas, where they participate in classic car auctions.

Auctions start at $1 and can exceed R$ 400,000

The sales strategy also draws attention. The duo places the vehicles in auctions without reserve, meaning no minimum price is guaranteed. The bidding starts at just $1, and the market determines the final value.

Despite the risk, some Kombis restored in Brazil are sold for more than R$ 400,000 in the United States.

To attract buyers, Jaime also bets on striking presentations, such as entering while playing the tambourine and juggling a ball next to the Brazilian Kombi.

Brazilians turn old Kombis into gold in the USA — Image: Disclosure / Personal archive

Kombi Samba increases interest among collectors

Among the most valued versions is the Kombi Samba, a 23-window configuration originally created for tourism in Europe and never officially sold in Brazil.

The model became known for its canvas sunroof and skylights on the roof, designed to allow passengers to observe landscapes such as the European Alps.

Since there are few examples of this type in Brazil, the team produces recreated versions in tribute to the original model.

The combination of classic visuals, artisanal restoration, and connection to Brazilian culture helps explain the interest of American collectors.

After 12 years and 26 Kombis sold in the United States, Jaime and Alexandre have consolidated a niche that transforms nearly abandoned vehicles into sought-after pieces abroad.

For Jaime, the Kombi also carries a part of the Brazilian identity: “The Kombi carries the name of Brazil along with it.”

This article was prepared based on information from the provided source material, with data, numbers, and statements preserved as per the consulted material.

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Brazilians “prospect” rusty Kombis in Brazil for R$ 5,000, spend about R$ 220,000 on each, and send them to the USA, where they exceed R$ 400,000 at auctions.

Jaime Morais and Alexandre Gonçalves buy old Kombis in Brazil, invest up to R$ 220,000 in artisanal restoration, and take the models to auctions in the United States, where some exceed R$ 400,000

Restored Kombi is born from nearly condemned vehicles

Restoration can reach up to R$ 220,000 per vehicle

Auctions start at $1 and can exceed R$ 400,000

Kombi Samba increases interest among collectors

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Brazilians “prospect” rusty Kombis in Brazil for R$ 5,000, spend about R$ 220,000 on each, and send them to the USA, where they exceed R$ 400,000 at auctions.

Jaime Morais and Alexandre Gonçalves buy old Kombis in Brazil, invest up to R$ 220,000 in artisanal restoration, and take the models to auctions in the United States, where some exceed R$ 400,000

Restored Kombi is born from nearly condemned vehicles

Restoration can reach up to R$ 220,000 per vehicle

Auctions start at $1 and can exceed R$ 400,000

Kombi Samba increases interest among collectors

In the cold desert of Ladakh, where it hardly rains, engineer Sonam Wangchuk created the ice stupa, a tower that freezes winter water and stores it for irrigating crops in the spring, a simple engineering feat that mimics nature.

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Chinese woman planted trees for decades while sand buried part of her house, received $5,000 from an American in 1999, and helped transform the desert into a forest of 8 million trees in China.

Almost 6,000 residents live concentrated along a single street nearly 9 km long in the interior of Poland. Houses form a continuous row, and behind them, narrow agricultural strips emerge, creating one of the most unusual rural patterns in Europe.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

Described by astronauts as one of the most unlikely natural phenomena on Earth, the Okavango Delta spreads over up to 15,000 square kilometers in the middle of the desert and transforms Botswana into a living labyrinth of channels, islands, and flooded areas.

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