Lot 216

Amelia Island 2012

1959 Goggomobil Dart

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$27,500 USD | Sold

United States | Amelia Island, Florida

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Chassis No.
1140036

15 bhp 293 cc two-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, coil spring suspension front and rear, hydraulic brakes. Wheelbase: 1,800 mm (71")

• High-quality older restoration

• European chassis with Australian coachwork

The Goggomobil was produced by Hans Glas in Germany, who quickly figured out that the demand for inexpensive cars in postwar Germany would be huge. Glas’s vision was correct, and from 1955-1969 his firm produced almost 300,000 vehicles with various chassis and body combinations to suit a variety of needs. There existed in Australia a similar yet smaller demand for such vehicles, but taxes and duties made direct import of the Goggomobil difficult to justify. Bill Buckle, owner of Buckle Motors Pty, Ltd. in Sydney, had the Australian distribution rights for the car and figured a way around the economic restrictions. He imported the Goggomobil as a bare chassis and produced and installed his own bodies which would be made in Australia. The Goggomobil Dart was born, and the finished product weighed in at 761 pounds.

This example comes from a large private collection of micro cars which contains some of the rarest examples in the world. Chassis 1140036 sports a very high-quality older restoration that has been well looked after since. It is finished in cream with matching steel wheels and a chrome and rubber belt molding that wraps around the body to protect it from door dings. The interior is a complementing black vinyl with cream piping on the seats; it shows little sign of wear. The engine bay appears correct and tidy. There were only 700 examples of the Goggomobil Dart produced, and they are highly prized for their styling and unique international history.