Glas 2600 V8 Glaserati

Introduction

One of the lesser known models to come from Glas was the 2600 V8 Coupe. The car was the design of Pietro Frua, who had already penned such great looking automobiles as the Maserati GT350 and the first-generation Quattroporte before being commissioned by Glas to complete the 2600.

It was obvious why Glas needed such a car, given the austere war years were long past and as people became more affluent, they turned their backs on micro and even small cars. A quantum leap perhaps, but Glas had set its sights high, and wanted to penetrate the exclusive circle of super cars.

The 2600 GT was to any eyes a real head turner, with plenty of sex appeal. It was soon nicknamed the "Glaserati". High praise indeed. After the BMW takeover of Glas a 3.0 litre engine was installed, the car evolving into the 3000 GT.

The heart of the vehicle was the V8 engine with its 2,600 cc (160 cubic inch) displacement and 140 HP, which catapulted the car to a top speed of 120 mph. Development costs of the engine could be kept low, because utilizing the Glas parts bin principle, many proven parts from the 1300 cc motor could be used.

The chassis had a wheelbase of 2.50 metres and a track of 1.42 m. The front axle used double wishbones. Of special interest was the rear axle design, which featured a DeDion axle with a Panhard stabilizer link and an automatic ride height adjustment using Boge-Hydromat struts. The layout of the interior was also beautiful.

The dashboard featured seven beautifully crafted round-faced instruments, while the interior furnishings and presentation were exclusive and sporty at the same time. On the outside, stretched design features, a low belt line, large glass areas and the discreet use of chrome provided the car with the flair of distinction.

The comments from the press of, "Shark in a fish pond", "The rocket from Dingolfing", and "The highest member of the aristocracy", were examples how this sleek car was praised. Production of 2600 V8 started in July of 1966. The performance was upgraded to 150 bhp @ 5,600 rpm. With the enlarged displacement of 3,000 cc, performance went to 160 bhp once BMW took over.

From July 1966 until May of 1968 718 cars were built, 300 with a 2.6 litre motor and 418 with the 3.0 litre motor. The first 2.6 litre models were offered for US$4,500 and towards the end BMW offered them for US$6,250. BMW also managed to address many of the teething problems associated with a new design before the decision was made to halt production. All that was left to roll off the production lines now were the Goggomobils, the very same cars that started the promising and successful Glas Automobile era.