Hi Gang…
So you thought we may have disappeared from the ‘glass scene on the net. Surprise! We’re back and ready to share with you fantastic plastic stories of ‘glass cars of years gone by. In the past year, I’ve been surfing and searching and researching more to share and today’s story is such an example.
I found the photo and caption in a collection of press release photos and had to post it here. The date was late 1952, and showcased the first planned production car in Denmark – and this first car was going to be produced in fiberglass! The perfect material for the heady times of the early ’50s.
Let’s have a look at the information that accompanied the photo in 1952.
Dateline: December 17th, 1952
Introducing the New Danish All-Plastic Car
Government Supported Venture to Produce 2000 A Year
Two Danish engineers have just produced a new type of car which will be mass produced in a new plastic material known as “polyester plastic” which is as strong as steel – stainless and splinter proof – and repairs to it are vey much more simple than to a conventional car.
For production the Danish Government has subscribed 45,000 Kroner and it will be made in a factory at Thisted, Northern Jutland, that is being loaned to the engineers for free for the first ten years. They expect to produce 2000 cars a year, they will weigh 700 kgs, will have room for six people, four wheel drive, and fitted with three cylinder Ilo engines.
The photo above shows one of the designers, Svend Aage Mathiesen and manager F. Gabrielsen who will take care of the production – seen with a one fifth scale model of the new car – which will be the first Danish car ever made.
Summary:
Bill Tritt and Eric Irwin had finished their first fiberglass cars in the summer of ’51 and here it was late in ’52 and the Danes were on their way with their own plans to make a fiber car a reality for them too. But what was the name of the car and did their venture succeed?
Who wants to take the ball and run with it and find, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story???
Go get ‘em gang and let us know what you find. So much history left to find and share…here at Forgotten Fiberglass.
Hope you enjoyed the story, and until next time…
Glass on gang…
Geoff
Geoffrey, thank you, that you are back.
Best Regards, dmitrii.
The DK had a DKW [German] 2 cylinder motor. The DKR was planned to use a 3 cylinder by the time they started production they used a Heinkel 1100cc flat four which is about the size of the 36hp VW bug engine. The Danish Government withdrew funding which kill the DKR.
Glad to see you back in action!
Great stuff as always!
I thought it was a full scale model…
We discussed this car here:
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=7392.0
Regards,
PJ
This car was called a DKR and designed by S A Mathiesen. They really never got past the prototype stage, but several were produced in 1953 and 54. Mathiesen built one with an aluminum body in 1950 known as the DK.
ILO engines were used in quite a few French microcars and scooters. I have not heard of one with three cylinders, so perhaps it was not actually produced
This may be related to a string of failed plastic bodied cars attempted in several European countries by Hans Trippel.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hugo90/4208137266/
Great car, I like the lines. It reminds me of my 53 DKW with a 2 cylinder motor, 700cc. I’m sure the lighter body could have helped that little motor make the car quicker.
http://karmannghias.org/DKW.htm
~ fascinating bit of history. i never would have suspected such an unusual discovery. i had to search ‘three cylinder Ilo engine’ and yet i was still in the dark. please excuse me, i have some reading to do.
Great to see you back on the World Wide Web..”Surfing “???”.You mean you haven’t finished all of those bodies yet..
~ heheheh, you are certainly not the only one – melvin keys. been missin’ my regular FF fix. feel like i just got home from an extended journey.