Rare Rides: A 1968 Glas 1304, One Last Glas Before BMW

This isn’t the first time Rare Rides has featured a car from long-deceased automaker Glas. That honor goes to this luxurious 2600 V8 coupe from 1967. But while the 2600 was the most expensive car Glas made, today’s 1304 is one of the least expensive.

Let’s check out a compact wagon built just as Glas was being consumed by BMW.

The car which branched out to become the 1304 was originally a 1004. Shown to the public at the 1961 edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the 1004 went into production in May of ’62. The 1004 launched as a coupe, but by early in its second year of production a cabriolet and sedan joined the lineup. The range expanded further in 1965, when a wagon variant was added, the kombilimousine. No matter the form factor of 1004, it always had two doors and kept a tidy 83-inch wheelbase. Overall length also remained at 151 inches, though height varied a couple of inches depending on body style. 1004 was a first (and last) for Glas, as the only time the company made a compact car. Previously, they’d skipped from superminis to family cars, then onward to luxury coupes and a van.

The 1004 range was named for its engine, which started out with a 992 cc inline-four. The engine was developed at Glas by a former BMW engineer and was an overhead cam design. Its valves were even driven by a rubber belt (a whiz-bang idea in the early Sixties). In original form, the 1004’s engine produced 41 horsepower.

The basic 1004 was supplemented with the more powerful 1204 in 1963, which used an 1189 cc version of the same engine. The ultimate [s]driving machine[/s] variant was the 1304, which used a 1290 cc engine for a more daring 59 horsepower. All versions were equipped with a four-speed manual transmission. Zero to 60 time? Yes, it had one.

With regard to the wagon version, it was sold as the CL, or Combi Limousine. Available in 1004 or 1304 guise, it skipped over the 1204’s engine. In its domestic market, the CL was a bit of an outlier, as German wagons were typically not this small. As a result, the luggage space and rear passenger carrying capabilities expected by German wagon customers were not found in the Glas. Slow sales ensued.

Production of 1004 and company continued through 1965 for the coupe, 1967 for convertible and sedan, and through 1968 for the wagon. BMW took over Glas in April of ’68, having purchased the company to make use of its production capacity and its pool of skilled employees. It killed off the remainder of 1004/1304 production, rebadged the Glas coupe as a BMW or BMW-Glas, and used the idea behind the 1004 as a basis for the later 02-series Touring. Glas was fully shut down in short order.

Today’s Rare Ride is a very tidy and very late example of the 1304 CL. Registered in January ’68, it appears to be in original unrestored condition. Yours in the Netherlands for $5,900.

[Images: seller]