This is a rare, original Goggomobil Dart. It’s the smallest production sports car ever made in Australia, and one of the smallest ever made in the world – weighing in at just 380 kgs (840 lbs).
Only about 700 examples of the Goggomobil Dart were built and just a fraction of that number survive today. They’re highly prized in Australia where they’re seen as pint-sized sports cars with a true David vs Goliath backstory.
Fast Facts: The Goggomobil Dart
- The Goggomobil Dart was an Australian-designed micro sports car built on German Goggomobil mechanicals. Created by Buckle Motors in the late 1950s, it had a minimalist fiberglass body, weighed just 380 kgs (840 lbs), and used either a 300cc or 400cc engine. Top speed was around 53 mph, depending on configuration.
- Built in limited numbers – approximately 700 units – the Dart became one of the smallest sports cars ever produced. Today, surviving examples are prized in Australia for their unusual looks, light weight, and underdog appeal. Very few were exported, making overseas examples particularly rare.
- The car originated from the postwar boom in microcars across Europe. Glas, the original German manufacturer, produced over 280,000 Goggomobils from 1955 to 1969 in various configurations. Bill Buckle used the T300 and T400 chassis to create the Dart with a roadster-style body tailored for local markets.
- The Dart shown here is a rare US-based Dart that’s been part of the Klairmont Kollections Museum in Chicago. It has original mechanicals like rack and pinion steering, a 4-speed manual transaxle, and 10-inch wheels. It’s now scheduled to be auctioned by Mecum on September 20, it will sell with no reserve.
The Goggomobil Microcars
The Goggomobil series of microcars were a German post-WWII answer to vehicles like the Fiat 500, Iso Isetta, Citroen 2CV, and to some extent, the Messerschmitt KR200.
Weighing in at just 380 kgs (840 lbs) the Goggomobil Dart could be transported in all kinds of unusual ways. That said, this particular method is probably not approved by the manufacturer. Image courtesy of Prototipo.
The first in this series was the Goggomobil T250, it was introduced by German automaker Glas at the 1954 IFMA International Bicycle and Motorcycle Show as a transportation option that wasn’t that much more expensive than a regular motorcycle.
Post-WWII Europe was beset by austerity and the depressed economic situation meant that many people who needed cars for transport simply couldn’t afford them. This led to the skyrocketing popularity of motor scooters from companies like Vespa and Lambretta, and small-capacity motorcycles from companies like Iso and Ducati.
Another popular solution was microcars, tiny little automobiles that were often powered by motorcycle or scooter engines and typically had space for just two adults. These microcars offered protection from the elements which was particularly welcome in wet weather and during the long European winters.
German automaker Glas had started out making tractors before diversifying into motor scooters, microcars, and full-sized automobiles. After showing their new Goggomobil T250 to the public in 1954 the company found they struggled to keep up with demand.
Goggomobil production would run from 1955 right the way through until 1969, a number of models were offered including the T250, T300, and T400, and the more upmarket TS 2+2, TS250, TS300, and TS400.
Over 280,000 Goggomobils were built during this time and only a tiny fraction of that number have survived to the modern day in the care of collectors and museums.
Each Goggomobil Dart began as the rolling powered chassis of either the Goggomobil T300 or T400 model, the key difference being the engine size of either 300cc or 400cc. Buckle’s unique Dart body was then fitted to the chassis and equipped with all the essentials like seats, a windscreen, and a basic fit out. Image courtesy of Buckle Motors Pty Ltd.
The Goggomobil Dart
The Goggomobil Dart is a uniquely Australian design developed by Bill Buckle through his company Buckle Motors Pty Ltd. based in Sydney. Buckle was a Goggomobil importer who developed a few unusual new fiberglass bodies for Goggomobil chassis. The most famous of these by far is the Goggomobil Dart.
In the 1950s there had been a surge in the use of fiberglass for automobile bodies both by major automakers themselves and by low volume sports car builders, particularly in the United States. It’s likely that these low volume production companies are what inspired Bill Buckle to create the Dart.
Each Goggomobil Dart began as the rolling powered chassis of either the Goggomobil T300 or T400 model, the key difference being the engine size of either 300cc or 400cc. Buckle’s unique Dart body was then fitted to the chassis and equipped with all the essentials like seats, a windscreen, and a basic fit out.
The Dart tipped the scales at just 380 kilograms or 840 lbs, it could accommodate two people, and the top speed was up to 53 mph (85 km/h) depending on engine specification and passenger weight.
Ultimately the Dart was never a serious performance car, but it was an incredibly fun sports car that remains very popular in Australia with a devout fanbase.
The Goggomobil Dart Shown Here
The car you see here is one of very few Goggomobil Darts that have been exported out of Australia, this one now resides in the USA where it has been a popular display at the Klairmont Kollections Museum in Chicago.
The car you see here is one of very few Goggomobil Darts that have been exported out of Australia, this one now resides in the USA where it has been a popular display at the Klairmont Kollections Museum in Chicago.
As with all Goggomobil Darts, this one has independent front and rear suspension with coil springs and dampers, rack and pinion steering, a 4-speed manual transaxle, 10 inch wheels, bucket seats, and a lightweight fiberglass body. It’s finished in white with a gray interior, and it has whitewall tires and chrome hubcaps.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum on the 20th of September with no reserve, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Mecum
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.
