“I like the unusual and fun shapes of this car, but I have no idea what brand it is. I've never heard of FT Bonito. That was the first nice reaction we could get at a classic event in Drachten.” Dirk has not yet had a long-lasting relationship with this car that looks like a Ford GT40, but oldtimers and classics are a permanent part of his hobby life.
By: Dirk de Jong
As a creator, he built a car himself that we would like to pay attention to. Through an extensive photo report of the previous owner who owned the FT Bonito for 25 years, you could go back to the past. It was a low budget car, but the pictures also prove that it must have cost a lot of money, and it was very time consuming. Polyester is indeed a wonder material, but it took a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge – and meticulous work – to achieve this result.
FT Bonito
This sporty-looking kitcar is based on the chassis of a Volkswagen Beetle. The kit had a price tag of 5.500 guilders at the introduction. A lad of a sports coupe with the reliable Beetle engine. The DIY kit from the Fiberfab factory in Germany was reasonably successful. Despite that, there won't be many around after so many years.
Stranded project?
Dirk: “No, not in that sense. The FT Bonito was beautifully restored, but the car still needed a lot of technical adjustments. New wiring, replacing the seats and upholstery of the doors, installing a new dashboard to our own design and a major health check of the engine. In traffic it is actually an outsider, when the characteristic sound is brought to life, the connoisseurs recognize the boxer sound of the beetle. †
Friendly Curves
We understand why Dirk chose the FT Bonito. After all, it is a nice striking car, you are distinctive. And maybe it was an unexpected crush for him. (The kind you can talk about at home.)
Also read:
- A lost FT Bonito.
- Fiberfab. An international success
- Martaré is back!
- Rizovari DX11. A 'Namegame'
- Volkswagen Buggy: nice!
Good fake is better than bad real, (normally anyway). So comparing with a GT 40 is a monkey in the attic story.
I then went to the bildt to do a test, with 1.86 it was not a success…
There are still 88 on a valid license plate in the Netherlands, and there will also be some sleepers.
What a wonderful time the 70s and 80s were for the car enthusiast with a small purse.
In addition to the cheap Ford Capri 1300cc sports car, Opel Manta 1300cc, vw Karman Ghia, Triumph Spitfire etc.
did you also have a wide range of sports car kitcars, DIY or ready-made. All somewhat affordable for an ordinary working-class income.
In terms of design, these kit cars were also the complete opposite of the ugly square 70s and 80s models that the regular car manufacturers had in their range.
The company Emves in de Bilt was the importer of this beautiful Bonito (if I'm not mistaken)