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GSM Flamingo GT - Granturismo all the way from the south

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Created on July 16, 2023

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

41

Archiv

20

Bruno von Rotz

41

Archiv

20

GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - the very special rear end is clearly visible here

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - compact sports car on the move

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - right-hand drive, typical for South Africa

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - the shape is thanks to Verster de Wit

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - only 1.54 meters wide

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - characteristic rear design

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - a very rare sight in this country

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - only 1.24 meters high

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - defies the rain

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - looks like no other car from behind

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - equipped with a 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - with plastic bodywork

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - the yellow color suits the coupé very well

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - the fin between the two rear windows is particularly evident here

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - relatively small wheels by today's standards

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - heavily cupped steering wheel

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Handbrake to the left of the steering wheel

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - stylish interior design

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - the gearshift is conveniently close to the steering wheel

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - six round instruments inform the pilot

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - a mixture of VDO and Smith instruments

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - well positioned gearshift

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - in memory of the company founder Bob van Niekerk

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Ford four-cylinder engine with specific intake manifold and Weber carburetor

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - the GSM intake collector is clearly visible

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - longitudinally mounted Taunus engine

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - built in 1964 as the 45th Flamingo?

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - stylized bird on the bow

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - stylized flamingo on the bow

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - 13-inch steel wheels

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Headlights from Hella

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Flamingo type plate

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Flamingo type designation on the flank

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Talbot rear-view mirror

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Door handles from the large series

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Fuel filler cap at the rear left of the car

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - elegant hubcaps

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - the two-part rear window

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Flamingo sign on the rear

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Flamingo type designation

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GSM Dart (1959) - chassis 5701, only the first two cars had air outlets on the flanks

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GSM Dart (1959) - Chassis 5701, this early car was built for Bob van Niekerk

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GSM Delta (1961) - the British edition had a different name

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GSM Dart (1959) - Model 95 and 105 without hardtop

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GSM Dart 1500 (1963) - without hardtop, but with windshield

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GSM Dart 75 (1959) - with hardtop

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GSM Dart (1959) - the standard version

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GSM Dart 105 (1960) - in racing use

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GSM Dart 75 (1959) - without side windows

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - with the Taunus 17M TS engine

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - elegant GT coupé

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - in South Africa

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - early publicity show

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - compact coupé for 2+2

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - with two-piece rear window

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - a pretty sports car

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - on the beach

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GSM Flamingo (1963) - early coupé in white

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GSM Flamingo Twin Cam (1963) - used in the 6-hour race, with the V8 version behind it

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GSM Flamingo Twin Cam (1963) - Start of the 6-hour endurance race

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GSM Flamingo GT (1964) - Coupé for two people (and two small children)

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Summary

Few people know the company Glassport Motors and hardly more have ever seen a GSM Flamingo. The GT coupé originated in South Africa and was developed together with its predecessor Dart/Delta by a very talented trio. Despite excellent driving characteristics and an unmistakable design, the project was not successful and only a few of these cars are likely to have survived. This report tells the story of GSM and shows the Dart/Delta and Flamingo models in many pictures and in the sales literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

Gasoline in the blood
A new material
From model to car
Insufficient demand in South Africa
Back to South Africa
Birth of the Granturismo
Positive reception
Racing and V8 dreams
South Africa still too small
Convincing

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

And then this! Rain! In front of the lens, a sports car from a country that you can hardly imagine in bad weather conditions: South Africa. And no improvement in the weather in sight. But perhaps the seemingly northern weather conditions should simply remind us that the British had more to do with this car than one might initially think. But for that we have to delve deep into the history of GSM, which begins in the late 1950s, or even earlier. It was September 5, 1928, when Bob van Niekerk was born in Stanford (South Africa). His father, known as "Oom Jack", was already a car enthusiast. While other people back then drove a Ford or Chevrolet, Bob's father owned a Humber and an Amilcar Grand Sport. No wonder Bob was fascinated by cars from an early age, tinkering with model cars at the age of six and motorizing his bicycle with a Briggs and Straton engine.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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