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Goggomobil Dart

The Goggomobil Dart is a microcar roadster which was developed in Australia by Sydney company Buckle Motors Pty Ltd.[5] and produced from 1959 to 1961.

History

The Dart was based on the chassis and mechanical components of the German Goggomobil microcar, which was a product of Hans Glas GmbH of Dingolfing, in Bavaria, Germany.[6] The car featured an Australian-designed fibreglass two-seater open sports car body without doors, with the whole package weighing in at only 345 kg.[2] It was powered by a rear-mounted twin-cylinder two-stroke motor available in both 300 cc and 400 cc variants,[4] and had a small luggage compartment built into the nose.[2] The Dart was designed in 1958 and went on sale the following year,[2] with around 700 examples produced up to the time that production ceased in September 1961.[7]

Production specifics

The Dart came standard with Goggomobil’s 293cc parallel twin (producing 15 hp and 20 ft.lb.), but their 392cc unit (20 hp/24 ft.lb.) soon became available as an option. Top speed was approximately 60 mph (97 km/h) for the 293cc cars, and about 65 mph (104 km/h) for those equipped with the 392cc engine. There may only by 50 of them left currently. Dimensions were 3.0m long and 1.3m wide.[8]

In popular culture

The Goggomobil Dart is mentioned in a 1990s Australian Yellow Pages television advertisement in which the actor Tommy Dysart says the famous line "G, O, G, G, O... No! No! Not the dart!"[9] In the early 2000s he continued his Goggomobil persona advertising Shannons Insurance, where he plays a character who is especially interested in finding the best car insurance for his treasured Goggomobil Dart.[10]

A documentary, released on 8 September 2019 titled D'art, is about an artist who paints paper planes (paper darts) on the Goggomobil Dart as the canvas.[11] The movie was received with positive reviews and was selected in 2020 for the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival.[12]

Gallery

External links

References

  1. 1958 Goggomobil Dart Microcarmuseum.com, The Bruce Weiner Motorcar Museum, retrieved 2012-04-06^
  2. "The Dart turns 50", www.shannons.com.au^
  3. (the Dart was based on the Goggomobil Coupé). Vehicles - Goggomobil Coupé GLAS Automobil Club International e.V.^
  4. "Glas Goggomobile Dart", uniquecarsandparts.com.au.^
  5. Company Profile Bill Buckle Volkswagen, retrieved 2007-09-16^
  6. Tony Davis, Aussie Cars (1987) p. 75^
  7. Mike McCarthy, Great Australian Sports Cars and Specials (1987) p. 61^
  8. Forgotten Cars of Australia: The Goggomobil Dart carsales.com.au, retrieved 2022-10-26^
  9. {{YouTube|BvOz_qUPbXo|Yellow Pages advertisement, 1992}}^
  10. "Fifty years of Goggomobils in Australia", 28 July 2008, shannons.com.au^
  11. {{IMDb title|10720032|D'art}}^
  12. "Review: D'art", 25 June 2020, documentarydrive.com^