Page 1 of 1 After successfully producing mini-cars for a couple of years, Hans Glas set his sights a little higher and introduced the Glass 1300 GT coupe in 1964. This was quite a departure from the Goggomobile which he had introduced a decade earlier. Fitted with a Pietro Frua designed body, the 1300 GT and later 1700 GT were good looking cars, with adequate performance.
Strong competition from British manufacturers had a negative effect on the sales of the Glas coupes. In a final attempt to take on the competition, Glas launched a new V8 engined car in 1966. Dubbed 2600 GT, it featured a SOHC V8 engine, displacing just under 2.6 litres. Being styled by Frua, it resembled its smaller relatives. It proved insufficient and Hans Glas sold his company to BMW later that year.
Many expected BMW to terminate Glas production, but instead the Glas models were slightly modified and partly added to the BMW line-up. The smaller coupe was now fitted with a 1.6 litre BMW engine and renamed BMW 1600 GT. In modified form the 2600 GT served as a replacement for BMW's large coupes, of which the production had ceased in 1965.
The biggest change was carried through on the engine, which was increased in size to almost 3 litres, resulting in a name change to 3000 GT. For this model, the Glas name was retained, although BMW badges were fitted on both the front and the rear. Compared to the 2.6 litre engine, the 'new' 3 litre unit produced 20 extra horses.
What many had feared in 1966 eventually happened in 1968, when the last Glas rolled off the production line. BMW had now created their own large coupe, in the form of the 2500 CS. Both the 2600 GT and 3000 GT models were not big sellers with 277 and 389 of them produced respectively.
Featured is a perfect example of the 3000 GT, pictured at the 2003 European Concours d'Elegance, where it took part in the Frua-class. Page 1 of 1
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3000 GT
After successfully producing mini-cars for a couple of years, Hans Glas set his sights a little higher and introduced the Glass 1300 GT coupe in 1964. This was quite a departure from the Goggomobile which he had introduced a decade earlier. Fitted with a Pietro Frua designed body, the 1300 GT and later 1700 GT were good looking cars, with adequate performance.