This is an Alpha Technology BMW E30 go kart, it’s one of a series of karts that were made by the company in the 1980s replicating some of the most desirable sports cars of the day, including the BMW E30, Mercedes R107, and the Porsche 911 Cabriolet.
These karts are more advanced than most, they have manual transmissions offering two forward speeds and a reverse gear, as well as a rear disc brake. Power is provided by a Honda single-cylinder unit offering an eye-watering 2.2 bhp.
This Alpha Technology BMW E30 kart is a little less powerful than the original, with just 2.2 bhp, but that’s more than enough for getting up to mischief. It has a two speed transmission with a reverse, a single adjustable seat, and a disc brake connected to the rear axle.
History Speedrun: Alpha Technology Go Karts
Alpha Technology was based in Kraków, Poland and they produced a small (but memorable) series of sports car-styled junior go karts during the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The best-documented examples are the Porsche 911 Cabriolet “Junior” models that were built between roughly 1980 and 1984, but only about 224 examples were made.
These karts used fiberglass body shells over simple box section steel frames and were powered either by 97cc single-cylinder petrol engines or low-voltage electric motors mated to lead acid car batteries. Steering and braking were simple but functional, and the cars had working lights, stitched seats, manual transmissions, and model-correct details throughout.
Beyond the Porsche 911 karts, the company also made BMW E30 convertible-shaped junior cars as well as Mercedes-Benz R107 SL-styled models. All followed the same simple formula – small-engined rear-drive layouts, single-seat or 2-seat configurations, and fiberglass bodywork scaled to resemble the real cars.
These karts were marketed more as luxury toys for the wealthy rather than racing machines, and they were sold through specialty distributors and high-end retailers. The modern version of Alpha Technology is still based in Poland, but now operates as an industrial manufacturer specializing in plastics, die-casting, metal fabrication, and parts supply.
The Alpha Technology BMW E30 Go Kart
The go kart you see here is clearly styled after the BMW E30 – one of the most important BMW models in history that succeed the E21 model family, which in turn had succeeded the BMW 2002 – perhaps one of the most important single BMW models in the firm’s history.
This Alpha Technology BMW E30 kart is a little less powerful than the original, with just 2.2 bhp, but that’s more than enough for getting up to mischief. It has a two speed transmission with a reverse, a single adjustable seat, and a disc brake connected to the rear axle.
Power is provided by a rear-mounted Honda G100 single-cylinder engine which powers the rear wheels, and the car has front and rear lights, a hinged trunk, a right-hand shifter, and a windscreen.
Power is provided by a rear-mounted Honda G100 single-cylinder engine which powers the rear wheels, and the car has front and rear lights, a hinged trunk, a right-hand shifter, and a windscreen.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Boca Raton, Florida on Bring a Trailer and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
