Glas Goggomobil History

The Goggomobil T250 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1955 and entered production in Dingolfing, Bavaria that same year. It was powered by a tiny air-cooled, two-stroke two-cylinder engine of just 242 cc mounted in the rear, producing 13 hp, and transmitted drive through an electrically pre-selected four-speed gearbox built by Getrag — an unusually sophisticated arrangement for a car in its class.

Three body variants were offered: the T (sedan) in 250 cc, 300 cc, and 400 cc forms; the TS coupé introduced in 1957 with the same mechanical options and slightly sportier two-tone styling; and the TL Transporter van, also from 1957, intended for light commercial use. The car's independent all-round coil-spring suspension and monocoque body made it technically ahead of several German bubble-car rivals. Glas also licensed production to an Australian assembler (roughly 5,000 units) and to Argentina.

By the end of production in June 1969 — the last Goggomobil rolling off the line as the BMW acquisition wound down the Glas marque — a total of 214,313 sedans, 66,511 coupés, and 3,667 Transporters had been built, approximately 285,000 vehicles in all. At its peak the Goggomobil was the world's best-selling vehicle of its type.