The Celebration of GSM Automobiles by South Africa

The Glass Sport Electric motor (GSM) twins, the Spear ultra-light supercar, and the Flamingo hard shells coupe, may be the most recognisable of all the boldly South African-designed and -built automobiles. This past weekend, the GSM Car Group of SA celebrated these automobiles at the GSM Reemergence kept at the Franschhoek Engine Exhibition (FMM). 

The Revival also honoured the creativity of 3 South Africans, Willie Meissner, Bob van Niekerk, and Verster de Witt, which collaborated to create a South African sports automobile. 

They combined their separate talents to produce the GSM Dart, an automobile with a fiberglass body.

The Construction of Four Prototypes

Four prototypes were constructed in 1957; however, the first production vehicle didn't leave the factory until the beginning of 1958. 

Between 1958 and 1964, 116 Dart and 129 GSM Flamingos are built in all. A very rare occasion and a proud time in South Africa's automotive history, the Club was able to obtain the first production model to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Dart, paying even greater tribute to the GSM company's efforts from all those years ago.

The First Manufacturing Of Darts At The Gsm

The first production Dart built at the GSM production plant in Bottelary Road, according to GSM Car Member of the club and avid Mazda hoarder Peanuts Fouche, was managed to sell to Gilbert Colyn. A renowned architect who, among other building structures, designed the Johannesburg Medical Center, the Groote Schuur Hospital, and five Trust Bank (currently Absa) buildings. 

Colyn also intended the Johannesburg Local Hospital and the Groote Schuur Hospital.

Design of Dart

He did this in order to help the GSM firm with cash flow so that it could produce the following car, #5802. The Dart was painted silver blue and had the registration number CY 20136. When Gilbert purchased a Porsche 911 in 1960, he surrendered the Dart to an unidentified buyer. Gilbert also helped GSM creator Van Niekerk with both the development of the Flamingo performance car because Verster de Witt, who had designed the Dart at the time, was still in England.

The Disappearance of Dart

The car "disappeared" without a trace for the following 20 years, but it reappeared in 1980 when Martie and Schalk van Wyk purchased it from Bill Law, who had reportedly had it for some time. Van Wyk wanted to give the Dart a Ford V4 engine after ten years of ownership, but at that point, Piet van Zyl made an offer to acquire the vehicle from him, and it subsequently found a new home in Kimberley.

The Movement of Dart

The Dart was moved from of the Diamond City to Melbourne to be restored to its former state earlier this year after Van Zyl's cousin, Gerrit Cloete, persuaded him to do so. The first production Dart was prepared to serve as the centerpiece of an exhibit that also featured ten of the initial GSM Darts made at the FMM. The restoration procedure is currently ongoing. 

The automobiles will be on exhibit at the FMM again for the ensuing few months as a component of the GSM Revive festivities.