The Goliath GP700 Sport Coupe and Its Quiet Legacy

Quiet Revolution - In the years after World War II, European carmakers were quietly redefining mobility, searching for efficiency, innovation, and identity in a rapidly changing world. Germany, in particular, became a testing ground for bold engineering ideas that often arrived before the market was ready to appreciate them. One of the most fascinating examples from this era is the Goliath GP700 Sport Coupe, a compact car that blended forward-thinking technology with understated ambition, leaving a legacy far larger than its production numbers might suggest. 

The Goliath GP700 Sport Coupe, a compact car that blended forward-thinking technology with understated ambition, leaving a legacy far larger than its production numbers might suggest. (Picture from: WorldCarFromThe1930sTo1980s in Facebook)

Goliath itself was a subsidiary of the Bremen-based Borgward group, a manufacturer known for experimenting across multiple segments. Before the war, Goliath had already produced passenger cars, but it earned its reputation mainly through rugged three-wheeled delivery vehicles. When production resumed in 1949, those utilitarian machines returned first. Yet the brand surprised many observers in 1950 at the Geneva Motor Show by unveiling the GP700, a small four-wheeled two-door sedan that signaled a clear shift in direction. Its ponton-style three-box design appeared years before Mercedes-Benz adopted a similar approach, making the GP700 visually modern for its time. Beneath the simple exterior sat a modest 688 cc two-cylinder two-stroke engine producing 25 horsepower, enough to push the lightweight car—just under 2,000 pounds—to a top speed of 102 km/h. 

The Goliath GP700 Sport Coupe benefited from its unconventional transverse front-mounted engine and gearbox, which freed up interior space and gave the cabin a noticeably more practical and spacious feel than many rear-wheel-drive rivals of its era. (Picture from: WorldCarFromThe1930sTo1980s in Facebook)

More important than raw numbers was how the GP700 was engineered. The engine and gearbox were mounted transversely at the front, driving the front wheels, a layout that was highly unusual for a production car in 1950. This configuration not only improved traction but also freed up valuable interior space, giving the cabin a more practical feel than many rear-wheel-drive contemporaries. These ideas reflected Goliath’s willingness to challenge convention, even while targeting buyers who needed affordable, efficient transportation rather than luxury or performance. 

The Goliath GP700 Sport Coupe originated from a compact four-wheeled two-door sedan that marked a decisive shift in direction when it made its unexpected debut at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show. (Picture from: WorldCarFromThe1930sTo1980s in Facebook)

That experimental spirit reached its peak with the arrival of the GP700 Sport Coupe in the early 1950s. Introduced alongside a cabriolet and estate version by 1952, the Sport Coupe stood apart as something truly radical. Its hand-built body, crafted by Rometsch in Berlin, required around 1,000 hours per car and resulted in flowing lines often compared to the Porsche 356, especially in its sloping rear and compact cabin proportions. Under the skin, the car became the world’s first production vehicle to feature direct fuel injection, using a Bosch system that predated the famous Mercedes-Benz 300 SL by roughly five years. The upgraded 845 cc two-cylinder engine delivered about 32 horsepower, paired with a fully synchromeshed four-speed manual gearbox—another advanced feature for the era—allowing a top speed of around 125 km/h. | WDx86y45F6g | D_HmOcQfUGk |

Despite its innovation, the GP700 Sport Coupe struggled to find buyers. Priced at DM 9,700, only slightly cheaper than a Porsche 356, it offered cutting-edge engineering without the brand prestige consumers were willing to pay for. As a result, production remained extremely limited, with an estimated 25 to 30 units built between 1951 and 1953, and fewer than three believed to survive today. While the GP700 would eventually give way to the larger GP900 in 1955 and the GP1100 in 1957, the Sport Coupe remains a powerful reminder that progress in the automotive world often begins on the margins—where small companies dare to experiment, influence larger brands, and quietly shape the future long before history catches up. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARANDCLASSIC | WIKIPEDIA | WORLDCARFROMTHE1930S TO 1980S IN FACEBOOK ]

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