If you want to build a kit car today, what would you build? That term has taken on new meaning compared to the boom times for kit builders in the 60s and 70s when manufacturers of DIY kits were seemingly everywhere you looked. Sure, there’s Caterham, which still offers a DIY process that has become more nuanced over time (it’s now a rolling chassis versus a “completely knocked down” kit), and Factory Five will still sell you a Cobra kit car. But a few decades earlier, there were endless options, like this rare Voegele Industries 1969 Amante GT listed here on Facebook Marketplace, which the seller claims is one of only 150 produced.
Of course, that’s the flip side to this story when debating what happened to the DIY kit builder industry. While there were many companies, most of them seemingly only produced a handful of finished products, which in turn makes them quite rare. As we often discuss, rarity doesn’t translate into value, and despite promises of exceptional driving dynamics and searing performance, many of these cars quickly faded into obscurity. Some of the original manufacturer’s literature for the Amante promised that you’d be surprising Corvette drivers left and right with its Corvair engine and Beetle underpinnings, but did this ever actually happen?
Well, it’s possible, especially with its low curb weight and the respectable performance of a stock Corvair engine. Another way the Amante stood out from its peers is the level of customization possible in the body assembly process. You could choose between a variety of rear end and nose panel treatments, along with specifying the type of rear quarter panel treatment. The one seen here is the best of both worlds, featuring a half glass, half scoop design (you could also opt for full glass or a 3/4 scoop). While VW running gear was clearly the intended choice, sales brochures also talked of utilizing hardwear from air-cooled Porsches of the era, all with the intent of building a car with legitimate performance credentials.
And last but not least, the interior: here, too, the Amante brand stood out from other kits of the same era. A fully-formed dash in the same color as the body was standard, along with all surfaces being “…inner-lined and coated with a textured finish,” according to sales literature. There was an optional dash-to-floor console, but not in this car; it would have likely hidden some of the exposed wiring. We also don’t get to see the standard ceiling-mount overhead console which contained all sorts of driver-focused functions – how wild would it be if it was still there? The seller is asking $9,500 for this unusual Amante, and we’d love to know if any of you have ever driven one. Thanks to Barn Find reader Cheetahkins for the tip.
Very likely the government safety standards are what caused the death of the kit car business. These companies were in the business of providing cheap, lightweight bodies for use on existing chassis. The crumple zones, side impact beams, air bags, and bumpers that take an impact were all issues that would be difficult to solve.