Cars in the GSM Stable

Dart

The DART was designed and developed by three South Africans, Bob van Niekerk (one of the best known racing drivers of his day), Willie Meissner (an automotive engineer and Bob's friend) and Verster de Wit (a car designer working for Rootes in Coventry, England at the time). The first cars rolled off the assembly line at the GSM factory Paarden Eiland in 1957, and by the time production ceased in 1964, more than 100 had been built.

The DART was truly a world-class achievement. Aerodynamically it was way ahead of its time, and the styling work of Verster de Wit remains contemporary even today (note the styling cues similar to the modern BMW Z1 sports car).

The chassis was designed to offer superb but safe handling, and the car was capable of 160 km/h fitted with the standard Ford Cortina 1200cc engine.

This culminated in the DART being raced with great success both here in South Africa and in England, and drawing respect from many quarters, including none other than the late Colin Chapman, the designer of famous Lotus sports cars.

Flamingo

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