The Goggomobil was a microcar built in West Germany between 1955 and 1969. The cars were joined later by the T600 and T700 models which were thought of as “big Goggomobils” with dimensions more like what we would think of as a subcompact. Rebranded in 1959 as the Glas Isard, the T700 with its 688cc “boxer” engine was the biggest seller. That’s the one the seller has which looks to have been in storage in Youngstown, Ohio for many years. Said to be complete and ready to be restored, this little car is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $5,500.
These cars were the brainchild of Hans Glas and could seat four people in a smallish 2-door sedan. The T600 first went into production in late 1958 with rear-wheel drive and a front-mounted engine, unlike the little Goggomobils that came before it. The T700 came a little later and was popular enough to continue being built into 1965, four years before the company ceased production. Though I don’t recall seeing any of these cars in my youth, they were exported to the U.S. in small numbers, capable of reaching speeds up to 62 mph.
We don’t know much of anything about the seller’s 1959 edition of the 2-cylinder T700. And few photos are offered to entice buyers to the table. The seller says the car has just 777 miles, but that could be a placeholder. The body and paint may be okay with some surface rust. And the interior has seen better days. Hopefully, the vehicle is as complete as the seller says because finding parts for one of these cars is bound to be an involved process. Thanks for the odd tip, “Jim C & Ted”.
Because no one asked…no BBC, but a Twin Cam Cosworth from a rusted out Vega.
Rotary power from a clapped out RX7 . . .
Well, you learn something new every day. I was sure that the model name is Isar, not Isard. One would think it was named after the German river with that name. But in fact they changed the name for some export markets assuming that Isard made for a more appealing name.
The one thing that I remember about these cars is that they had a rather unique reversed shift pattern with first and third down and second and fourth up. The car had first been designed for front wheel drive and somehow there were issues with the transmission. I can’t say if my memory is correct but I seem to remember that Glas went buying gearboxes from Porsche but with the notable effect that when the gearbox got turned around 180 degrees to be installed at the front of the car also the shift pattern got rotated.
Looks like a quite challenging restoration ahead for getting a car that is indeed very rare, but certainly not all that desirable.
I remember the term “Gogomobil” was coined to every puddle jumper that came across the pond. From Isettas and Fiat 500s, to well, these, “what was that”? Oh, probably a Gogomobil”, we’d say. I think the European cars of that era were just the most beautifully designed cars, kind of like ours, but only in miniature. Since originality is not on the front burner here, any number of plausible engines could make this a fun “go to Walmart” car, provided it’s not too far away. GoldWing motor maybe? And I’m sorry, in 1959, we had dual quad V8s, and the poor Europeans slogged along in this. USA, USA,,,
Actually, originality IS on the “front burner”. These are scarce, and it would be a shame to butcher it!
If the Glas engine is anything like a BMW twin, it should be easy to work on and reliable. I totally agree with Jim .
OK, did some research and these engines did not have BMW levels of reliability. Butt a BMW boxer might fit in there very nicely and work just fine,
BMW ended up buying Glas anyway, in 1966..
“Puddle jumper” was the term my dad used when describing small cars like the postwar Morris Minor.
“No girl will date a guy if he pulls up to her door in a puddle jumper.”
Yet, dad and mom had brought me home from the hospital in a (you guessed it) Morris Minor. ;)
“Puddle jumper” always comes to my mind when describing a small car, too. :)