Ever since I was a kid with my trusty “Cars of the 50s and 60s” book by Michael Sedgwick, I’ve had a fascination with the uglier side of automotivedom—Panhards, Messerschmidts, Isettas and the like. One of the funkier examples in the book was the Goggomobil TS, a microcar given the stylistic treatment in two-door hardtop form. A truly fine example of these, a 1966 Goggomobil TS 250 Coupe, is listed for sale by a dealer on ClassicCars.com and is our Pick of the Day. (Click the link to view the listing)
Goggomobil was built by Hans Glas GmbH, which initially built farm equipment and then evolved into motor scooters and cars. Goggomobil vehicles were produced from 1955-69, and Glas from 1958-68, with the whole operation being bought out by BMW in the 1960s. The TS Coupe was introduced in 1957, in TS 250, TS 300, and TS 400 versions, with each signifying the cubic centimeters of the two-stroke, two-cylinder engine it came with. A handful of Goggomobils actually were imported to the U.S. for several years, with 594 being sold here in 1959 according to Ward’s Automotive Yearbook. Using big-car styling on little-car proportions is generally not a formula for award-winning design, yet the Goggomobil TS has a certain charm that is often missing from classic microcars. A four-speed manual was the standard transmission, though a nifty electromagnetic pre-selector was available.
This TS 250, which was originally sold in Germany in 1966, has been “extensively restored” by a Dutch restorer in 2017-20. “The white paint looks beautiful and the chrome is also in very good condition. The steel rims are painted and fitted with the matching hubcaps and white wall tire,” says the seller. “The interior is equipped with red upholstery with white piping that contrasts beautifully with the white paint.” The 245cc straight-twin was originally rated at 13.6 horsepower and is backed by the standard four-speed.
The Netherlands-based selling dealer says “extensive history is available” on this Goggomobil. Though the car is overseas, the dealer does have U.S.-based staff that can handle importation to the U.S. “Price for shipping a car from The Netherlands to our New Jersey warehouse is $1800. This price excludes 3% import duties,” with shipment to your home address being an additional charge. As this Goggomobil is listed for $31,500, you can do the math, but we know that microcars from this era don’t come cheap. Nonetheless, the smiles per dollar ratio is quite high, which makes this vehicle a stellar Pick of the Day.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
