Germany is famous for its post-war “bubble cars”, like the Isetta, Heinkel and Messerschmidt. But by far the most enduring of the micro-cars was the Goggomobile. Unlike the others, which were mostly short-lived, the “Goggo” was built from 1955 all the way through 1969. Why? It was the only nominal four-seater of the bunch, making it the most versatile. And since it could be driven by holders of a Klasse IV driver’s license, which was drastically easier and cheaper than a proper license and otherwise used for motorcycles, those that didn’t want to upgrade their licenses just kept on buying them. Or maybe it was that adorable face?
Eric Clem found this one, in the Seattle area, and it begs the question as to whether this was an original US import from the 50s, or whether someone brought it over later. Yes, these were imported, and sold for as little as $995. There was even a DeVille Coupe version. Just the thing for a safety-minded parent to buy for Junior to drive to high school instead of a Harley Hummer. Dad!!! What the hell is this thing in the driveway?!?
In Germany in 1955, Junior might well have been readily satisfied if Dad had bought a Goggo for the family, as their first car, especially if it came with the hot 400cc engine. Here he is, pondering the little air-cooled two-stroke twin in the rear, which also came in 250cc and 300cc versions. The Goggo was first shown in 1954, by Hans Glas GmbH, a manufacturing concern eager to participate in the nascent post-war auto boom. Glas was ambitious, and eventually built quite a diverse line of cars, from the tiny Goggo to the over-reaching 2600 and 3000 V8 models before BMW bought the company mainly to get its hand on Glas’ production facilities in Dingolfing.
The Goggo brought mobility to a lot of Germans. I’m sure she was driving a BMW twenty years later to the tennis court, but in the mid fifties, having one’s own car was a big deal, even if it only could do about 52 mph (70 kmh) mph with the 250 cc engine, which spit out some 13.6 hp along with a plume of blue smoke. Klasse IV drivers licenses were restricted to 250 cc, so that was the version that was most popular, and built right up to the end for that reason. The 300 cc mill cranked out 17 hp, and the 400 a whopping 20 hp, with a top speed of 105 km/h (65 mph). On a level road, no headwind, and with plenty of time to get it up there.
For the more upscale and fashion-conscious micro-car buyer, there was also the Goggo TS coupe, called DeVille Coupe, no less; at least the ones imported to the US. Ironic, given that the more well-known DeVille coupe had an engine that was as much as 33 times larger (8.2 Liters). That has to represent some sort of record for two cars with the same name. Tom Klockau did a post on one a while back, but he seems to have missed the DeVille name; also ironic, given his proclivities for them.
There was even a line of Goggo trucks, both a van and a pickup (Pritschenwagen). Just the thing to patrol the streets with.
There were some rumors in about 1958 that Studebaker might build Goggomobiles in the US under license. That didn’t come to fruition, and probably just as well. Studebaker was pretty desperate just then, and a Goggo certainly would have undercut its Scotsman in price. BTW, that’s a 1960 NSU-Fiat (Neckar) 500 Weinsberg next to the Goggo. Maybe we’ll look at it later.
I’m not sure of the exact year of this Goggo, but it has to be before 1963, when the suicide front door became front hinged. But it’s also not from the very earliest years, as it carries this delightful non-functional grille, given its rear air-cooled engine.
That’s the short story on this very short car (114″ or 2900 mm). Anybody ever driven one?
Remember seeing one sometime in the 50’s at the Johnstown Auto Show. As a child, thought the name was hilarious. Still do.
I don’t think one actually sold in Johnstown, and I don’t remember the town having a dealer. The JAS was a big enough deal in the day that outlying dealers would come in to cover makes that weren’t sold in town. Dad, of course, wasn’t impressed considering he was marketing late 50’s Chevrolets at the time.
Ehhh….it’s nice, but I’m more of a Bianchina guy….
+1
Ha! That chase scene with the old man watching was great!
Classic.
I really like the ad with the Frühauf (apparently they like to get up early) family. The son is thrilled (“Donnerwetter !”) by the 2 cylinder 400 cc engine and that it can do 100 km/h. The daughter thinks it’s so cute and she’s happy that, finally, the whole family fits in a micro-car. Mother, as the family’s bean counter, is content with the fact that it’s a cheap car to run. Dad sums it up and he says that it’s OK !
I never sat in anything smaller than my aunt’s Mini and my uncle’s Fiat 600, both in the mid-seventies.
Seeing this little car for the first time in my so far long life, I’m wondering if it might have been the inspiration for East Germany’s little Trabant.
How is this for a Deville Coupe vs. Coupe DeVille comparison (photo from http://www.californiaclassix.com)?
The photo of a rather burly German policeman standing next to a rather petite (kleine?) Goggomobil police van is begging for an amusing caption.
It’s the roadside assistance, not the police. The guy is big enough to carry the van on his back so he can walk to the base when his own van breaks down.
Tackle that van Officer!
I had heard of the Goggomobil before, but had never seen one. Until now. The worldwide reach of CC never fails to amaze, especially when such an example is actually found in the US.
I have long been fascinated by the way different cultures have solved the problem of a low cost, economical to operate entry level car. America did it sooner with the Model T, but the little Goggo seems to have been successful in another way in its own place and time. I am kind of surprised that these have not been more widely acknowledged here Stateside, given our 50+ year love affair with German cars. Or perhaps the Germans themselves are (today) a bit embarrassed by them, preferring to associate with the larger and more capable VW.
I agree, I love big fancy cars, but there is something interesting about a minimalist design, something about doing the most with the least possible leads to some unique engineering solutions.
Interesting. I didn’t know that theses things existed until now.
That’s one nice write up with excellent pictures of the Goggomobile. I did not have the pleasure to drive one but I had the pleasure to be 10th in line to pass them after the next curve. On a hill you couldn’t tell if they were going up or down because the were engulfed in a plume of blue smoke and made the hellish noise of a monster chainsaw. They were the butt of jokes at all gatherings. However, you were right after the war people were happy to have a motorcycle with a roof and because of the 4 seats this Goggo was way more than a motorcycle with roof.
A few years back there was a Buick meet in Ames, IA. On the way home I stopped by and parked of the side of the the Buick car show there was a Chevrolet Astro with a Goggomobile on a trailer behind it, barn find style in parts. It garnered more attention than the all restored Buick Specials and Roadmasters.
I talked to the guy and he hauled it for his uncle, a well known collector of Crosleys: Paul Gorell.
I learned the US imports came only with the 400cc engine. The one on the trailer had the engine for the Goggo van Paul intended to restore. It also had an electrically operated 4 speed gear box. This gearbox is of an ingenious design. I hope I can find some information on it. meanwhile enjoy a picture of Paul Gorell and what must be the most unusual Crosley.
The Goggomobile was available with a 4 speed electromagnetic semi automatic gear box. It is a draw-key style gearbox where all cogs are in constant mesh and a key or ball inside the hollow shaft is drawn to a cog to engage it with the shaft. This allows for lightning quick shifts. The electromagnets allow the operator to pre-select the next gear without executing the shift. As soon as the clutch is pushed a switch powers an electromagnet to complete the gear change. Now the operator can pre-select the next gear.
http://www.goggomobil-t250.de/index.htm
Elektrische Schaltung
That’s neat – just like a Cord 810!
It also probably makes the Goggomobil the last ever car to use a preselector transmission. Can anybody think of one that came later?
Unbelievable! First a DeVille Coupe Now it is on the same level as the Cord 810!
Look at this and you want to get one right now! (don’t worry it will turn to English footage)
From what I can find, the last car to use a preselector gearbox was the Daimler DK400 limousine in 1960, just shading their conventional sedans that changed to normal automatics in about 1958. Armstrong Siddeley changed only a little earlier.
LOL
The Austin A 30 is cute. But it is not nearly as cute as that cough drop called Goggo! The Austin is 2 shoe sizes larger.
“Hustengutsel” (cough drop) was a common nick name for the Goggo.
I never liked the A30/35 because I associate them with an unpopular French teacher.When I see one I immediately think of Miss Banks
Snap! 🙂 When I was at ‘kindy’ (3? or 4?) the old ‘ma’am’ who was in charge of the kindergarten had a ‘poo-brown’ A30. One day I noticed the external petrol filler cap was ‘missing’.. I got a bunch of other little rotters and we crammed it full of little sticks and stones (lol) ..poor woman! [don’t know how far she got down the road but she undoubtedly had to have her tank cleaned…… awww
I always loved the A30 because my favourite aunt had one. I remember how tiny it was, both outside and in, and the noise it made coming up the driveway when she came home from work – usually with leftover cakes from the bakery! The starting procedure seemed odd: turn the key, then pull out the choke with one hand and the starter knob with the other. The gear ratios must have been very low, because she always changed into second at a fast walking pace! Cramped, noisy, and just my size!
The Morris 1100 she traded it for in ’66 seemed to be from another planet compared to the baby Austin.
In Australia at least the bubble cars were killed off when the Mini came out, it cost about 10% more but was so much more capable.
The Goggo is still quite prominent though thanks to classic car auction & insurance company Shannons using the Dart sports car version as its mascot.
And of course the iconic “g.o.g.g.o” Telstra ads of some years ago. http://youtu.be/fk6pO7eLeiM
The cavemans scrapyard in Riverstone NSW featured several of these he had stacks of oddballs awaiting scrap to go up in price Lloyds Renaults VWs literally hundreds of unloved European cars, I sold him my Kombi when it went bang.
Of course – “no, not the Dart”
Then the Shannons ads picked up on that and now somehow we have Darts not the normal Goggos – mind you there are probably fewer of those left in existence.
I was waiting for this. Aaaaargh!
They called the TS coupe a DeVille? Whoa, never knew that!
“There ain’t no Coupe DeVille in the bottom of that Crackerjack box”. This one would almost fit!
So if Goggomobils were around until 1969, that means that BMW built them for a few years? Incredible, I never knew they lasted that long. Was “TS” like the equivalent of “GT” in 1950s Germany? Borgward used that suffix for all of their sporting models, too.
Wish I could comment on driving one, but I’ve never even seen one in person. One thing that strikes me about all of the European microcars is the extreme positive camber they typically show at both ends. What’s the advantage? Or is it just a flaw related to using the swing-arm design in such a compact and lightweight package?
This one is probably a European model imported more recently. The U.S. cars appear to have had the huge headlamps required by law at the time. Unlike the Fiat 500 (which looked nightmarish with them), I actually think this looks pretty cool. Both look good, as do the Goggos with and without faux grille:
I wondered about the camber too, I wonder if it goes back down to normal when people sit in it?
Two things to consider regarding the rear wheel camber: the narrower the car, the more acute the camber angle will be, for a given amount of wheel travel. And four adults probably weighed almost as much as the car, so its suspension had to handle a disproportionate amount of weight compared to its empty weight. When loaded with two adults, camber was close to neutral. With four aboard, it would be negative. Both factors combined meant very large camber angle changes. You’ll see this on other very small/narrow/light cars with little wheels and swing axles.
The swing arm design was the cheapest way to give the cars independent suspension. It was the norm for rear engine cars: Porsche, VW, Renault 8, Fiat…They only needed one CV joint or universal joint next to the differential. BMW was (one of) the first to use an oblique control arm design with two CV joints per half shaft. This eliminated the extreme camber changes and was the main reason for their superior handling.
Thats what I imagined, that they are so light that the weight of even one person would probably equalize it, if the tires sat “normal” unloaded, they would probably go to a max negative camber when anyone put any weight in the car.
I assume TS means Touring Sport(s). These days Toyota uses that badge too. Mind you, on a wagon, the Auris TS.
Toyota….sport……?
Once even a Corolla could fly…..
Yes, indeed, BMW continued the production of the Goggomobil and at least one other Glas: the Glas GT received a BMW engine and a BMW badge and was sold as BMW 1600 GT.
I for one would like to see more of that NSU-Fiat.
In the province I live in (BC) they have an interesting class of resto mod or classic vehicle where you can as I understand the rules make a vehicle to conform to the original date of manufacture. It is usually a 67 camaro re body or similar. I thought it would be neat to re create a micro-car like a gogomobile and put a modern 2 cylinder Koehler motor or the like to power it. The only problem would be if you got hit by anything bigger than a motorcycle.
I used to see one of these pass my house ever day in the morning peak traffic. Always four people on board, too. Only now do I wonder what it must have been like inside! And a local used car dealer had a coupe version once. That looked positively toylike to a seven-year-old!
There used to be quite a few now-rare cars on my block – a Borgward Isabella, a little Lloyd, a Triumph Mayflower, later a Toyota Tiara….. Then there were the cars that were just plain old but still in daily use – a ’38 Chevy, 37 Plymouth, a Model A roadster, ’46 Chevy delivery van, old Anglias, Prefects and early Austin A40s everywhere….
Ahh, memories. Thanks for the Goggo feature, Paul!
These little guys are practically the definittion of the word “cute”. While I’d be terrified to drive one on a road where the speed limit is more than 35, one with a modern powerplant would make a great little city car.
The Goggomobile was quite popular in England in the mid to late 50’s as there was no domestic alternative. I have always assumed it was the reason BMC developed the original Mini.
April 1959 photo for you to add to your collection, Paul:
Thanks; that’s a good one.
Those Goggos have legs! 🙂
I have some old Autocar mags from the 1950’s, and one article on the climbing stage of a European rally mentioned a couple of Goggomobil entries ‘swarming up the hill like angry bees’.
Here’s a picture of Jean Shepherd w/a Goggomobile:
http://blog.floonet.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/sheps-goggomobile-300×230.gif
So for you folks in Europe that might have seen or been in one, how does this compare with the Trabant 601 sedan size wise and drive wise? When I first saw the pic of this Goggomobile at the top of the posting, I automatically thought Trabant.
The Trabant is a fair amount larger. The Goggo was a micro-car. The Trabant was a Euro-sized “compact”. Quite a difference.
As Paul just posted my pic of a TS photoshopped as a Chrysler 300, I can respond to those who wonder what the cars are like to drive. Mine was a coupe, and I can say that it handled beautifully if you adhered to empirical wisdom when it came to setting the tire pressures rather than use those supplied by the factory. I don’t remember what the difference was, but owners found that by dickering with the pressures they could improve the handling greatly. The coupes took turns like go-karts. In fact, they were referred to as “das kleine Porsche” by some owners. Passenger weight was carried several inches lower in them compared to the sedans; one sits a mere 8-10″ from the pavement, which enhances the feeling of speed. There is, of course, some comfort given up in sitting so low, but we’re talking about stylin’ here!
The manual trans is great, too, albeit with an odd shift pattern that goes, top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right.
I own a ’65 FIAT 500 currently, and what it gives up in swoop it gains in drive-ability, particularly with the Abarth clone engine mine has. The Goggo’s 10′ tires are easily swallowed by potholes, and with so little power available in the Euro 250cc engine, the way to get the most speed out of it is similar to driving a train: build up as much momentum as possible before the top of the next hill. It’s fun though, unless the car in front of you is driving too slowly. In that case, you are, paradoxically, chafing at the wheel of your 13.5 hp carlet hoping for more speed from somebody who probably has at least 170 hp at their disposal!
A 1960 Goggomobil was my first car. I was in Nairobi, a senior at the International School of Kenya, and this was taken before I went to school. It was “50’s Day,” so driving a car from that era was perfect, though you probably wouldn’t have seen this car at any American high school back then.
This green beauty had red vinyl interior and even had an old school car alarm. I can’t remember how it worked, but it had something to do with something going out of balance when the car was bumped. I named the car “Green Lighting” for the day, though 2 cylinders wouldn’t get you to 60 any time soon. I don’t think it would even get to 60. So it would be 0-60 in infinity.
This was my first car when I was 19. My mother bought it second hand for $200 in 1962. The previous owner mentioned that there was another one at the local salvage yard in case we needed parts. I absolutely remember shifting it. I had to move a little lever on the dashboard to select the gear and then step on the clutch. Mine must have had the smallest engine because I remember it died once when I got it up to 45 mph. When I took it to my favorite gas station for the first time the guys teased me about how small it was and actually picked up the rear. I only had it for a couple of months before my mom decided I should have something safer and sold it for $200. It was fun while it lasted.