Two categories of used cars are usually in the spotlights in the section ‘Enthusiast Wanted’: cars that are in top condition, or ones that still need some work. This Glass 1304 CL belongs to the latter category. However, its rarity makes it worth refurbishing for the enthusiast.
The origins of the German car manufacturer Glas go back to the year 1883. At that time, engineer Andreas Glas founded his own company for the repair of agricultural vehicles. He slowly but surely expanded that company over the years. Glass turned to agricultural machinery at a later stage. His son Hans Glas, after whom the company was later named, took over the tent in 1924 and changed the company name to Hans Glas GmbH. It was not until after the Second World War, in 1955, that the company started producing cars. Glas came up with the Goggomobil, a compact car that came on the market in different variants. The production of the Goggomobil only stopped in 1969.
In the 1960s, Glas wanted to move up the ranks in the car market. In 1961 the company therefore introduced the Glas 04, a compact coupé that was a lot more mature than the Goggomobil. Production started in May 1962, in 1963 a sedan and convertible completed the offer. The 04 was available as 1004, 1204 and 1304, with the first two numbers indicating the engine’s displacement. In 1966 Glas marketed the 04 as CL, an abbreviation for ‘Combi Limousine’. In the same year, BMW took over Hans Glas GmbH. The name Glas eventually disappeared in the late 1960s. Not long after, BMW launched the 02 Touring, which was very similar to the Glas 04 CL.
Glass 1304 CL
The Glas 04 CL was ultimately only in production for two years. That makes it quite a rarity today. This original Dutch example comes from 1968 and is therefore one of the later cars. It also has no BMW logos. The ‘G’ adorns the grille as a tribute to a bygone era. It’s a 1304, which means it has a 60 horsepower 1.3 single-carburetor four-cylinder under the hood. That engine is normally coupled to a four-speed manual transmission, but this one lacks the gearbox. You will have to install it yourself.
Installing the gearbox is not the only job you will have to do. A registration check shows that the car has been in the hands of the same private owner since 1994. According to the selling party, it has been standing still for about twenty years. That is generally not conducive to technology. From a distance, the car looks pretty neat in the photos, but there are several rust spots under the skin that need to be addressed and the interior could also use a major cleaning and restoration. That does not alter the fact that the basis of this copy is visually good. For the handy do-it-yourselfer, this is all in all a nice, rare classic that also does not cost too much money. For the asking price of €4,950, the selling party also supplies a donor car. Which enthusiast will take up this challenge?
Would you rather look for an enthusiast car or youngtimer yourself? Then take a look at the classic pages of the AutoWeek used car finder!
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl