(first posted 8/18/2014) Mention the word Tempo to a German car nut, and something very different than the Ford Tempo will likely come to mind. It’s easy to forget that in the fifties, much of Germany was in a very different state of development. And the Tempo played a role of motorizing the lowest level of transport still used by small farmers, tradesmen and business owners: the horse and wagon. With between 10 and 15 hp on tap, it was faster than the one horsepower wagon. Which also explains why as the Bajaj Tempo, it became a staple of India’s crowded roads. But why would Tempo take one to the Avus high speed track to set a world endurance speed record? I guess it’s all in the name.
What started out in the twenties as an evolution of a motorcycle with a small load bed in the front (above), eventually got turned around to put the bed in the back. But the tricycle arrangement stuck, as well as front wheel drive.
Yes, the 12-15 hp that an assortment of two-stroke engines put out were delivered to that sole wheel; obviously via a chain from this picture.
In 1934, Tempo took one of their trucks to the Avus high-speed track in Berlin, and set five world endurance records for the “open delivery truck under 200cc class”. The average speed: 54.1 kmh, or 33 mph. I couldn’t find any pictures to confirm this really happened, but in more recent years, pictures of flying Tempos were a staple of an ad campaign in Germany for a savings bank. (Update: this is actually a very similar-looking RWD Goliath 750, which explains the rear axle, although not the lack of a drive shaft).
In addition to the pickup, there was a woodie wagon “kombi”. Strictly speaking, the “Boy” versions had somewhat smaller engines than the “man” versions; a 10 hp 244 cc motor in order to qualify its use by a Category IV driver’s license, which was immensely easier and cheaper to obtain.
I remember these in Innsbruck as a kid, with their nattering motors and smoky exhausts. You could see them parked by the big open-air market, used by the farmers to bring their produce to town. Their rated load capacity: 500kg, or 1100 lbs. That’s only one hundred lbs. less than my half-ton F-100.
In 1958 or so, the Indian firm Force Motors made a licensing agreement with Tempo to build the Bajaj Tempo, and the same basic model was built until 2000.
There they will continue to natter and smoke away, until they’re either banned, or they finally die out.
In the mid-fifties, the German Tempo three wheeler finally gave way to the four-wheeled Matador, now using a VW engine, but still driving the front wheels.
The final version got an updated cab, whose styling was referred to as the “fishmouth”. Curiously, these were now powered by an English BMC 1600 cc engine driving the front wheels.
The Tempo story now intersects my Mercedes Van history from a while back. Hanomag eventually absorbed Tempo, and built a new advanced line of fwd vans and trucks, which Mercedes rebadged as their own after they swallowed Hanomag. That’s today’s obscure automotive history lesson; class dismissed.
Very interesting indeed. The surprising thing to me is in the picture of the one getting air is the fact that the rear axle has some sort of differential “pumpkin”. Did they outsource them from a mfg that made RWD vehicles?
I also wonder just how they did for traction especially when loaded and attempting to climb a grade that may have been slippery due to mud, snow or ice.
I noticed that rear axle too. Doesn’t compute.
Looks to be chain-driven. A pumpkin in the axle would still be required.
They’re FWD. Tempo rear axle is a plain tube.
The pic is a Goliath (RWD shaft drive) but with the propshaft missing or airbrushed out.
I suspect maybe that is part of a photoshopped photo. Looking at this (big photo warning) http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/174/2/f/hanseat_by_mechanicman-d3js5um.jpg it looks like just a straight axle.
The later Tempo chassis doesn’t have a rear diff either.
I tend to agree on it being something to do with the photoshopping. All these vehicles had straight beam axles in the back; I saw some other pictures to confirm it.
They used a higher strength rear beam axle from a supplier of RWD gear. This is a common modification to heavy agricultural load trailers here, which use Tata truck rear axles, although they lack any motive power. I don’t know if this mod was done by the racers or by the company.
Re: Traction
When (over)loaded on a slippery grade, there is no traction at all, similar to other trucks. I’m aware of no vehicle that can do such feats *and* carry heavy loads. Unimog and Puch-mobile aside, the HANSEAT is as good as they come. I still haven’t lost my sense of wonder at the sheer abuse this fragile-looking vehicle and drivetrain can put up with. With all due respect to Ford, F150 has nothing on this.
The reason the flying “Tempo” has a differential, is that it isn’t a Tempo at all. It’s a rear-wheel-drive Goliath 750, which looks very much like a Tempo, so it’s an easy mistake to make!
If it’s a rear-drive, it’s missing a tailshaft.
Are these related to that strange chain driven 3 wheeler I saw at Southwards? You recognized that straight away.
I`ve seen this car ( can I call it that way?) during my trip to Germany . The best part of it is its two stroke engine-just like my Trabant has. Its throttle response is the quickest I`ve ever experienced in any car. By the wayF-150 and other half-tons have relatively low load capacity if compared to European cargo vans.
True, about the rated load capacity. But the ratings on American trucks is very (overly) conservative, for legal reasons and because American trucks generally were operated at higher speed, where loading is/was more of an issue with brakes and handling: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/overloaded-by-how-much/
The reason for overly conservative (=totally false) load ratings here is taxation. A TATA truck that usually carries 40 tons is rated at 25 tons. This is really endemic in all categories here. In fact, the rating of 500kg for the Hanseat is also in the totally false category. It routinely carries 600+ kg, and can easily do 750kg. Of course, speeds are slow, so high gearing helps.
Is that “Was ist schöner als fliegen” advertisement a spoof of Opel’s “Nur fliegen ist schöner” ads for the GT?
The front doors in the last two pictures look very VW Microbus-like. Could have been a very misleading CC Clue!
Oh. My. Go*.
Thank you for this post Paul! I’d been hankering after this for quite some time.
You missed the engine though. In India, the sweet 2-stroke twin is no more. Since the 80s or so, a Lombardini agricultural diesel engine has been used. It is noisy, smoky, and slow, but has good torque. That engine is the standard engine for all heavy commercial three wheelers here. This vehicle is the grandfather of that market segment. Three wheelers have far less taxation and safety legislation than four-wheeled trucks. It’s interesting to note that this was the initial reason for their development in Germany.
History: The Indian company’s name was really `Bajaj Tempo’, only recently changed to Force Motors (because Bajaj Auto is a different 2-wheeler manufacturer, though with the same founder). Bajaj Tempo was a collaboration between Mr. Bajaj and Mr. Firodia. The Firodiaas are now dominant in Force Motors, which precipitated the name change. As with all good things, the HANSEAT production came to an end. Diesel 3-wheelers have been effectively banned within many city limits, with other manufacturers switching to CNG power for their vehicles. Thus the HANSEAT is slowly dying out, being limited to rural areas and as passenger transport in under-served areas. My bucket list of vehicles includes this, as well as a MB 6cyl OM312 diesel truck, but that’s another CC.
There seems to be a club of sorts for these vehicles in Europe (Germany?). Here’s a youtube video link: Could you incorporate this into the article?
Interesting. Some of those 3 wheelers seem to have what we would now recognise as a distinctly BMW-ish grille. I don’t suppose there’s any connection?
Does the 3-wheeler have a reverse? Some 2-strokes ran the engine backward for reverse. In England, rules changed through the years; sometimes 3-wheelers were allowed to have a reverse, sometimes not. There were some that were like Dodgem cars; to reverse, the front driving wheel/power unit was turned (with the steering wheel) 180 degrees.
This is definitely the obscure-vehicles post of the week. Very entertaining. Just think, you could have one of these Tempos to haul garbage to the dump and a three-wheel Morgan for daily driving. With those six wheels you’d have most of your automotive needs covered.
Thank you for sharing the information.
Thank you for sharing the information.
Splendid historical amazing world’ s super special wehicle I salute u. We all must need to save and develop this tempo hanseat . Otherwise we r losing our great history. We should start to produce it again with modern engine. This is a great wehicle.
Thnx
Eastern-German 3 cylinder two-stroke Barkas is quite similar to the so called “fishmouth” Tempo!?
In the brief time I had spent living in India during the early 90s, I had spent some time going to school there. The school had a couple of Tata school buses but I remember travelling on a smaller van type vehicle that had the Matador name badge, which the kids referred to as a “Tempo”. I now know that Bajaj Tempo Matador was probably its full name. It was more of a light green colour. One day after school it didn’t show up to pick us up for a good while. While we were waiting I had heard that it had gotten a flat tire. A kid even mentioned that even if they put on a new tire, it would have to get used to the van. I guess the rule is to replace tires in pairs but I don’t know if they ended up with a new tire or just fixed the flat one. After a short while it was decided that I could not ride on the Tempo anymore since I lived too far away from the school and had to arrange my own transportation. Of course I ended up in Canada some years later and “Tempo” eventually meant the Ford beater that many people drove.
More info on these vans:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/commercial-vehicles-india/41723-bajaj-tempo-matador-f305-f307-r307-vans-3.html
Here’s a heavy-duty Isuzu I photographed on Okinawa in 1970 when in the air force.
Best shot I could get with my $2.75 + 2 Hills Bros. coffee lids mail-order el-cheapo Kodak Instamatic!
Love the two-tone Bluebird in front!
Lots of Bluebirds over there at that time. A friend’s buddy had one – in light blue, of course! It was a fun car, especially when the top legal speed limit on the whole island was only 30 mph!
Really funny to see some G.I. putting along in his Roadrunner, GTO, Chevelle, Charger, Camaro, Mustang or Corvette in 2nd gear all day.
The Tempo Matador is one of my favorite automotive oddities, since it’s essentially a backwards VW Bus.
Come on, Paul, what is going on here? This is America! To move a stick of 1X2 here we need a 6000 lb “truck” to do it, or else the world will end! Imagine hauling a stick of 1X2 up a hill with anything less than 300 hp! The trailer would sway for sure, since I have to have a trailer as the 4 four box in my 6000 lb “truck” is too small to take a stick of 1X2!
This has not always been the case. Meet the 1964 Handywagon from Arkansas.
(Photo courtesy of Ray Thornton)
More info here:
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5531#
Funny is that I saw one of the original Handywagons in the DAF Museum a few weeks ago. In Eindhoven, not Endihoven.
In our town is a small company called “Bikes At Work”. They run a recycling route and design, manufacture and sell cargo trailers for bikes. They pursue a sustainable style of living without being “preachy” about it.
I was familiar with Tempo, but never knew it was produced until XXI century, and with a Diesel engine, no less – thanks for the info. In the USSR, we also had something like that, it was called “Muravey” (moor-uh-way) – the Ant; it was mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, though, and much lighter, with a 2-stroke scooter engine. This one is from our local classic car club, it used to be an ice-cream delivery van (try to find a GM B-body on this photo):
There also was a closed cab version, but it is somewhat difficult to find today
– a better photo of the same thing
This seems “inspired” by the Piaggio Apé more than the Tempo HANSEAT.
BTW, Apé is probably only being produced in India now, both by Piaggio itself and similar vehicles by other manufacturers, using Petrol/Diesel/CNG engines, etc. This country really must love three wheeled trucks (not really—cheaper taxes and lesser certification requirements are the key).
These Tempos all do look amazingly like the Goliath 3 wheelers, including the later Goliath Goli. I wonder if Borgward/Goliath supplied some of the body panels for the Tempo. Undercarriages look quite different, as the Golis were rear drive 2 cylinders with a conventional driveshaft and rear differential.
Paul, what a throw-back.
I recall in the late 50’s, at my age of 4 or 5 years how this handicapped old man named Fritzl was making the rounds in his 3 wheeler Tempo rolling “Kraemerladen” (trinkets store). He usually stopped in front of our house and the kids congregated around the Tempo and buying little toys, candies and such. He was an institution and the grown-ups did their duty of supporting him by way of our pocket money.
Then every now and then the “Lumpensammler” (rags collector) came buy. They loaded the Tempo with old textiles that were reused to produce things like mattresses and stuffing for dolls etc. (Now you know why mattresses have a label “new materials only”). These things played an important role in the beginnings of the “Wirtschaftswunder” (economic miracle) as much as the Goggomobile played a role as people mover.
Stories like these make CC an essential read.
Thanks!
Wolfgang, now you’ve triggered memories of “Kraemerladen” and “Lumpensammler”. I don’t think they had Tempos exactly, but we did get visited by them.
And what about the “Scherenschleifer” (scissors grinder)? I think we had one coming by on a bike. My mom was a seamstress and gave him a few jobs every time.
Lots of HANSEAT goodness in Hannas Entscheidung (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1865388/), which, unfortunately, has no English subtitles.
Scenes here:
Those little Matador vans really do look VW Bus-esque. Interesting to see something like that with a Mercedes logo on it! Certainly never crossed the ocean to the NA market.
Here’s an historical tid-bit of no great significance, but intriguing nonetheless.
Those VW-powered FWD Temp Matadors were sold in Australia from ’52, and, remarkably enough, advertised as machines having the same tough chassis and engine of the cars Rommel used in the German North Africa campaign. This was just 7 years after a conflict where Oz soldiers had directly engaged with his troops there in very fierce and bloody battles.
It seems the ad people took a gamble on the fact that the German general was actually respected by the Australians for his abilities. I suppose it helped that the same man had made an attempt to get rid of Hitler later.
It worked, or at least, didn’t fail, as the oddball thing actually did alright here, it seems.
From the ads
And
And a nice cutaway when they later got the BMC engine
Thank you so much for this article! Man, it makes me think of India. And I don’t know what was so different about those ones you saw in Europe, but the ones in India don’t ‘natter’. You could almost say they roar. They are really loud.
This thing is ugly a little bit
It looks like somone on the cab did sit.
And it doth seem to me
That the engine is junk
Though it’s a bit hard to see
With that metal of hunk
In the way. Oh say
Have you ever seen
Such an ugly vehicle?
I never could dream
Of something so bad.
Not even if tried I
This thing looks so sad
I wonder why?
-The Poest, very bored (thanks COVID-19)
P.S. Sorry you all have to endure this, I’m just so bored!
Eine guter Guterwagen Geschicte, Danke. (Well, i try to remember the language!)