Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Goggomobil Dart

Goggomobil Dart
Overview
ManufacturerBuckle Motors Pty Ltd.[1]
Production1959[2]–September 1961[2]
AssemblySydney, New South Wales, Australia[1]
DesignerBill Buckle
Body and chassis
ClassMicrocar
Body styleNo door roadster
LayoutRear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
PlatformGoggomobil
Powertrain
EngineTwo-stroke straight-twin engine
Standard: 293 cc, 14.8 PS (10.9 kW)
Optional: 392 cc, 18.5 PS (13.6 kW)[3]
Transmission4-speed manual[3]
Dimensions
Wheelbase1,800 mm (71 in)[3]
Length3,050 mm (120 in)[1]
Width1,370 mm (54 in)[1]
Kerb weight380 kg (840 lb)[1][4]

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

History

Goggomobil Dart rear
Interior

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, the whole package weighing in at only 345 kg (761 lb).[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 (96 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]

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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "1958 Goggomobil Dart". Microcarmuseum.com. The Bruce Weiner Motorcar Museum. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Dart turns 50", www.shannons.com.au Retrieved 22 February 2010. [dead link]
  3. ^ a b c "Vehicles - Goggomobil Coupé". GLAS Automobil Club International e.V. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.[failed verification] (the Dart was based on the Goggomobil Coupé).
  4. ^ a b "Glas Goggomobile Dart", uniquecarsandparts.com.au. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Company Profile". Bill Buckle Volkswagen. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2007.
  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 26 October 2022.
  9. ^ Yellow Pages advertisment, 1992 on YouTube
  10. ^ "Fifty years of Goggomobils in Australia", 28 July 2008, shannons.com.au
  11. ^ D'art at IMDb
  12. ^ "Review: D'art", 25 June 2020, documentarydrive.com