Arjen is an improvising traveler in classic land, his quests for old-timers and classics sometimes take very unexpected turns. With astonishing regularity he manages to turn up special and often rare vehicles.
By: Dirk de Jong
In his spontaneous encounters – such as this one with a collector of dwarf cars – he likes to tell the story. It's always wonderful when classics come into the spotlight and get attention as a result.
The Goggomobil: A small car for grown-ups.
The story has a special twist, the brochure from the time of course shows all the positive characteristics of the car:
- It is the dream of every (non) car owner.
- A private car that is always ready for the family.
- A possession for many, many years.
- Driving quality is praised. (The Goggo is not inferior to a larger car.)
Why buy a Goggomobil?
Now it becomes special, because the folder tells a story about buying a used car, there is even a warning: “It is a bad investment, because what you pay less for a used car, you pay more for maintenance. A car comes on the market as used when the first owner notices that he is incurring costs and disposes of the car just in time. Conclusion: The second owner is unlucky and pays high bills.”
Simplicity is the mark of truth
The solution is to buy a new Goggomobil:
- Cheap to maintain.
- The air-cooled engine in the back.
- Cost of maintenance and petrol at the level of a motorcycle.
- Simple technique (can be repaired without special tools)
- Extraordinary handling. If you compare this with a normal car, you will know why the Goggomobil is so cheap to maintain.
Nostalgia reigns supreme
And that's not just the case with Arjen. This Goggomobil in an extraordinary finish and a deep shine of the red paint brings back memories of a quieter time of life in the 50s/60s, which you can sometimes long for. But that time is gone forever. However, this most successful dwarf car from that time is still there, and isn't driving a car with the old technology of the past also the charm of the hobby?
Also read:
- Zündapp Janus. Dwarf car in mirror image.
- BMW Isetta. A unique and beloved dwarf car.
- Bambino 200. Dwarf car with three wheels and a Dutch touch.
- Norso. a very ugly dwarf car
Wonderful those technical marketing mistakes, as ever at DAF; DAF, the car for the insecure driver.
Well then you know, if you drive a DAF, then you are a ……….
Had a lot of goggos in maintenance when we were Glas daeler in Nijmegen1962 to 1968 funny cars