Goggomobil coupé, 1958

On a trip to England in 1952 Bill Buckle became fascinated with the potential for making car bodies out of fibreglass. This rust-proof, lightweight material had low set-up and tooling costs and, because it was moulded rather than stamped, it could easily produce curves.

Buckle began importing Goggomobil chassis (the frame, wheels, engine and gearbox) from Germany in 1957. Locally-made fibreglass sedan bodies were added at a factory in Punchbowl, Sydney.

Seven hundred Darts were sold between 1958 and 1960 when a 40 percent tax increase on imported cars and chassis made production uneconomic.

Goggomobil coupé, 1958. Powerhouse Museum collection.

The doorless two-seater coupé body of the Dart, designed by Buckle, shows the influence of Alfa Romeo’s Disco Volante showcar of the early 1950s. Among other features, it has a rear-mounted, two-cylinder, 392 cc, air-cooled, two-stroke engine; a lightweight, fibreglass body shell and total weight of 345 kg; a four-speed motorcycle gearbox with an unusual shift pattern (to say the least); fuel consumption of 45 miles per gallon (6.25 litres per 100 km); and plenty of style!

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