Shades Of The A380

[Styria]

Not quite, but nevertheless an interesting little vehicle I had never heard of. Please note the spacious front seat in a Gullwing 300SL tartan pattern......











...and just further along, I spotted its little brother - again, a make of car I had never heard of. Again, you might say ' just as well' but it's still part of history.









....and I still can't forget this magnifico 230 cabriolet I saw parked out the back at Mirbach"s




Regards Styria - Enjoy.

 

[Martin280s]

Apparently, the Argentinians have a fabulous club just for microcars and some exceptionally rare cars are in that club.

 

[BenzBoy]

Fuldamobil.
Read on;
The Fuldamobil first appeared in 1950 in Germany. The original vehicles had an aluminium paneled body fixed onto a wooden frame but as steel became easier to get hold of later versions featured an all steel body. The Fuldamobil's rear wheel was powered by a number of engines ranging from a 200cc up to a 360cc Sachs engine.

The Fuldamobil was built under license in many countries including the UK, Greece, India and Chile and was known as The Nobel (UK), The Attica (Greece), The Bambi (India) and the Hans Vahaar (Chile). From 1956 the vehicle was also available as a 4-wheeled car. In the UK The Nobel was financed by Cyril Lord and had a chassis that was built by Harland & Wolf , Belfast (They also built the Titanic) unlike the original Fuldamobils it had a fibreglass body courtesy of the Bristol Aeroplane company. The Nobel was powered by a Sachs 191cc two stroke engine driving the rear wheel which gave a top speed of approximately 50-55mph with 60mpg. Nobels were produced from 1959 to 1961 and approximately only 20 or 30 vehicles are known to have survived.
Regards,
BenzBoy

 

[BenzBoy]

Gutbord. Somwhat similar to the Lloyd Hartnett we had here in Australia.
Read on;
Gutbrod was a German car manufacturer. The firm was founded by Wilhelm Gutbrod in 1926. It originally built motorcycles, and from 1933 to 1935, Standard Superior cars were built with rear-mounted engines.

The small Gutbrod Superior model was produced from 1950 to 1954 using own manufactured, front-mounted twin-cylinder two-stroke engines (593cc and 663 cc). 7726 cars were produced before the factory was forced to close. The car was developed by Hans Scherenberg during the period of Walter Gutbrod. Hans Scherenberg came to Gutbrod from Mercedes, and later returned to Mercedes. The car was produced first in a carburettor version with 26 hp (19 kW), and later also with a 30 hp (22 kW) fuel injection engine. One injection engine can still be seen in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

It was a small two seater car, the overall length was 3.5 m (11 ft), width 1.4 m (4.6 ft) and the total weight 650 kg (1,433 lb), max speed 90 km/h (56 mph). The car was offered as standard version for a price of DM 3990, and as Superior Luxus for DM 4380. Recently, a restoration project of an injection model was sold in Geneva for CHF 3000.

In 1956, Norwegian Troll cars were equipped with Gutbrod engines.
Regards,
BenzBoy

 

[Styria]

Hi BenzBoy, thanks for that information. If we are talking about the Fuldamobil, I wonder if there is somewhere some sort of tie-up or relation to the Fulda Tyre Company ? When I looked at this little car, I was amazed at the spacious interior (at the front) and also the rear, with its hatchback configuration, provided a useful platform for storage purposes.

As far as the Gutbrod is concerned, the specifications as far as top speed are concerned are quite acceptable, and it too had a surprising amount of interior space. Whatsmore, how about fuel injection in those days, on a two stroke engine as well ! Quite remarkable. Regards Styria

 

[Michel]

Cute, Ugly, Dangerous (by today's standard).

I mean would you do 80km/h in one of those contraptions?

 

[Des]

Cute, Ugly, Dangerous (by today's standard).

I mean would you do 80km/h in one of those contraptions?

I like them!

although I would have trouble fitting in one I would love a microcar like that,
One of my all time biggest regrets is not buying a Messerschmitt microcar when I had the chance.

 

[Michel]

I like them!
although I would have trouble fitting in one I would love a microcar like that,
One of my all time biggest regrets is not buying a Messerschmitt microcar when I had the chance.

I am like you.....(missing the chance to own one)
However....

You (and I) would have sold it as soon as you would have taken a drive or two in the 'thing'

They are noisy (engine sounds like a lawn mower on heat) and it goes at a snail's pace...

 

[Des]

I am like you.....(missing the chance to own one)
However....

You (and I) would have sold it as soon as you would have taken a drive or two in the 'thing'

They are noisy (engine sounds like a lawn mower on heat) and it goes at a snail's pace...

So it's like driving an old Beetle then?

great!!

Rubbish to drive, but still got charm and character

 

[Michel]

So it's like driving an old Beetle then?

great!!

Rubbish to drive, but still got charm and character

A Beetle (of any age and description) is a glamour compared to a Microcar

 

[Styria]

Seeing that we are on a European, 'non-Mercedes theme, you guys may be interested to have a 'gig' at some of the other exhibits displayed..., such as this very classy, AND beautiful BMW 503 Coupe from the late fifties..




As an aside, please note the 'again' fifties DKW (Auto Union) Sedan directly behind the BMW - I still vividly remember them 'buzzing' past leaving a distinct trail of blue smoke coming from the two stroke engine - a very sweet 'luxury' car in their time. And now back to the Bimmer....classic, almost Pininfarina shape. The front, if you have another look at it, reminds me of the Lagonda Rapide built between 1962 and 1964. Also, again note the DKW..



More from the Bavarian Motor Werke and the Blue/White propellor...



Regards Styria

 

[Styria]

I did not mention that the BMW 503 Coupe pictures just above (with the Lagonda Rapide front end styling) looks as though it may have been a Pininfarina Special - the styling just seems so reminiscent of his creations dating back to the fifties and sixties, AND seventies - in other words, absolutely timeless elegance.....My opinion anyway.

Speaking of non - Mercedes offerings at the museum...oops



or the BMW Z1 Roadster which was . by BM standards, considered to be a sales failure...



...or this extremely rare Thurner RS...if my translation capabilities are correct, this was a Fibreglass body with gullwing doors. I wonder how much it cost at the time..





It looks as though 121 saw the light of day. If you have a look at the specs., 4 pot, 180 k's - not bad, even in those days..



.......or the Glas V8, also going back to the late sixties - again, it didn't make it, probably because of its high price... However, the styling - does it remind one of the Maseratis, particularly the 3500GT....





..nevertheless, beautifully shaped and styled....




Next one to feature is the Opel Oympia or Rekord - now, I clearly remember those when I was nut a 'snotty nosed' kid in Austria, chasing the young and slightly older girls - sorry, no pics of them..



Now, here is a most famous name ......the Horch Sachsenring...





I really could not relate this car to a racetrack - nevertheless, a significant vehicle, prodeuced by a Company probably in its deaththroes at the time. However, I do think that the Horch Company may have had some tie-up with DKW (Auto Union).

Enough for the time being as far as this thread is concerned. Give me a chance to dig up some other matter. Enjoy. Regards Styria

 

[Michel]

Nice bit of machinery here... (Apart from Olga)

Did you note how much American influence in the front grille the Opel Reckord had?

 

[Styria]

Hi Michel, I knew that the Opel Record would catch YOUR discerning eye - - us oldies do know when to dream and appreciate the finer qualities of the exhibit to be admired. Well, the Rekord, of course in those days, was probably a couple of cuts above humble Volksie and the Puch 500, but by then there was also the Opel Kapitan on the market which, as far as I was concerned, was every bit as 'Topklassy' as the Benz and Bimmer of the time. Mercedes, of course, had the 220 and 180 Pontons, and BMW had the 501 Sedan. Very, very nice, and so easily capable of 100 km/hour. Regards Styria