description
founded in 1872, the coachbuilder peter bauer was specialized in trucks and buses, and has worked on only a handful of passenger cars / however, these cars are worth mentioning / the coachbuilder is said to have shown a retractable hardtop adler trumpf junior in 1935 : the first german car of this type ever / in 1962 peter bauer strikes again with the sportolet, wich is based on the popular ford taunus 17m / the prototype's roof system is clever : the rear and side windows disappear into a compartment behind the front seats, and the roof goes down and covers it all / this roof may also slide back to uncover a small space that may accomodate two more passengers / last but not least, the boot space remains unchanged whatever the roof's position is / even if the car is rather unpretty when the top is up, it's a shame that this ingenious prototype hasn't been further developed, which might have improve its innovative concept

photos
click on the pictures to download the full-size ones

data

identification	ford taunus 17m sportolet by peter bauer
country	germany
appearances	1962 frankfurt iaa
body	2-door 2/4-seat coupé/convertible / retractable hardtop
designer	unknown
engine	front-mounted inline 4 / 8 valves / side-mounted camshaft / carburettor
transmission	rear-wheel drive / manual gearbox
suspension	front : independent wheels + coil springs + stabilizer bar / rear : solid axle + leaf springs
brakes	drums
steering	worm and roller
wheels	5.90x13
dimensions	wheelbase 263 cm / length 445.2 cm / width 167 cm
performances	unknown
production	1

photos 01/02/03/04/05/06 : from wannenglück website

last updated 16/01/2005