THE WOLF IN SHEEP's CLOTHING
THE GLAS 04-TYPE

GLAS 1204 4-seater sedan.

Engines, which sounded totally new, roared already in the autumn days of 1958 on the test benches at the research department of Glas in Dingolfing. It was the 61 cubic-inch, 4-cylinder in-line motors, which later could be heard on racetracks throughout Germany and which would give the company Glas a sporting image. But the public still had to wait until 1961 during the 40th International Auto Show in Frankfurt, when the curtain finally was lifted on a totally new automobile. The S 1004 as a Coupe and as a Cabriolet was one of the sensations of this IAA. Compact in design and with a curb weight of only 1,440 lbs, the S 1004 was a real power package. The rev-friendly motor with its camshaft driven by a toothed belt demonstrated, at the time, the advances in engine design without equal. Glas was the first automobile company to use a toothed belt in mass produced motors.

GLAS-Coupé S 1004 und S 1204. Sportive and elegance.

Performance given was 42 HP at 4,800 RPM, which gave the car a top speed of 85 miles per hour. The list price in 1961 ex-works was set at US$1,345. Production started in May of 1962. In January of 1963 the 1204 sedan was introduced, in which the roofline was extended to the rear and the rear window more steeply raked allowing the rear seats to be placed 4 inches further back. With these changes, Glas had created a real four-seater. The 1204 had 53 HP. Later followed the 1304 with 60 HP. Early in 1965 the TS-types were added, the 1204 TS (70 HP) and the 1304 TS (85 HP). Their power to weight ratio of 20 lbs per HP turned them into real hot rods with some serious power under the hood.

GLAS-Cabriolet. The sportive Roadster.

GLAS 1304 CL. The small station car.

This increase in power made the motor also more vulnerable. For the driver with sporting ambitions a five-speed manual transmission, a limited slip differential and oil cooler were offered. In August of 1966 a CL (hatchback version) was added. Frua in Italy, to complete the model line-up, created this car. Altogether 40,000 cars were built of the 04-series, 3,443 coupes, 25,046 sedans, 2,064 convertibles and 8,233 CL hatchbacks. Production ceased in 1967 while already under BMW management.

GLAS 1004 CL und 1304 CL. The Camping Hatchback.