Glas Meet Page 2

The Goggomobil Limousine: Over 250,000 were built, including some under license, and many were sold in the U.S.

Germans knew the V-8-powered GT as the “Glaserati,” thanks to its resemblance to Maseratis also designed by Pietro Frua. Introduced in 1966, it was the least likely thing you could have imagined from a microcar maker.

a Royal, was actually brought to England from New Zealand. The Isar was built between 1958 and 1965, with a production peak in 1959 with almost 25,000 cars. Total production was 73,312 limousines and 14,274 station wagons. Glas even built a pickup version, but it was never put into production. And there was also the one-of-a-kind Beach version very much inspired by the Mini-Moke which is said to have been built for Pietro Frua (the designer of several Glas models). The Isar was supposed to be the successor to the Goggomobil, and was first introduced as the “Big” Goggomobil. It was larger than the Goggomobil and came with a choice of two engines: the T 600 (20hp, 60 mph) and the T 700 (30hp, 67 mph) two-cylinder air-cooled fourcycle boxer engine. It was a fresh design with its large panoramic windshield tailored after the Chevrolet models of the same time period, seating for four adults

A Glas 1700 GT cabriolet, freshly restored to a very high standard. It may not have the V-8, but it’s got all the style.

Inspired by Fiat Jolly and Mini Moke, one Goggomobil Beach was built, probably for use by Pietro Frua. and a good size trunk. But Glas quickly learned that they could sell more cars if they would drop the association to the Goggomobil name—which became at the time a reminder of the poorer past for many “Wirdschaftswunder” German

consumers—and called it the Isar. But many production and reliability problems, especially early body corrosion, soon made the car disappear from German highways, and only very few survive today.

HEMMINGS MOTOR NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2008

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