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Agile instead of fragile - Glass 1204 in the (historical) test

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Created on July 15, 1963

Text:

Clauspeter Becker

Photos:

Archiv

17

Archiv

17

Glass 1204 (1964) - in various versions

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Glas 1204 (1964) - the sporty everyday car

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Glass 1204 (1964) - 53 hp strong

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Glass 1204 Dolomite (1964) - at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show

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Glass 1204 Dolomite (1964) - at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show

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Glas 1204 (1963) - latest version with 1.2-liter front engine and four-seater body

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Goggomobil Coupé, 1204 and Glas 1300 GT (1963) - The three Glas coupés over the years

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Glas 1300 GT, 1204 and Goggomobil Coupé (1963) - The three Glas coupés over the years

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Glass 1204 (1964) - Cockpit

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Glass 1204 (1963) - View of the interior, seen at the Geneva Motor Show

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Glass 1204 (1964) - good space (?)

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Glass 1204 (1964) - the technology of the "rocket"

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Glass 1204 (1964) - the four-cylinder engine

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Glass 1204 (1964) - the modern engine with camshaft control via timing belt (see-through drawing)

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Glass 1204 (1963) - front wheel suspension, also used in the same form in the S 1204 and 1004

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Glas S 1204 Cabriolet (1963) - also available as S 1004

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Glass S 1204 (1963) - elegant and strong

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Summary

In the beginning was the sports car. True to this motto, many manufacturers produced sporty two-door models that had a "teaser" function. If the response from buyers was satisfactory, a more practical version was then launched with the aim of achieving high sales figures. In 1963, Hans Glas GmbH in Lower Bavaria did exactly the same when it followed up the S1004 with the S 1204. The temperament of its predecessor was by no means lost, nor were the not inconsiderable quirks... This article reproduces the original test report from Automobil-Illustrierte and shows the compact car in contemporary photographs.

This article contains the following chapters

The age-old recipe
Two things
Consistent engine
The gearbox, an heirloom
Too short!
The driving itself
The truth about the brakes
The flying suitcase
And what it looks like inside
Are the four seats real!
Technical data and test results

Estimated reading time: 18min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Glass automobiles are different. They are cars, not vehicles. They do not want to be binding, flattering and seductive. They want to convince, and do so in a harsh, energetic, even occasionally somewhat angry way. Such cars have always been the custom in Dingolfing. Even the Goggomobiles are of the same ilk. The 1204, the youngest and most powerful in the company, is even more so than ever. You can love or hate a car like this, you can't compare it with other cars. The 1204 is the way real cars used to be, back when they were still built for guys and not degenerated by market research. A glass needs to be driven, with heart and hand, with understanding and good courage. No one remains indifferent in this car, they are forced to engage with it. There is still something vintage in this car, something of the kind of driving that was not yet navigable, but surrounded by wild romanticism.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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