Gutbrod Classic Cars for Sale

The German car maker Gutbrod manufactured cars, motorcycles and machinery for agriculture from 1926 onwards.

The Beginnings of Gutbrod

Wilhelm Gutbrod founded his company in 1926 in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Production at the company initially focused on motorcycles, which were branded as “Standard” models. Seven years later in 1933 company operations were moved to the Stuttgart district of Feuerbach, a relatively short distance from Ludwigsburg, where the Standard Superior car models were manufactured between 1933 and 1935 (featuring rear-mounted engines). In 1953, the company updated the Gutbrod Superior with the latest fuel injection technology developed by Mercedes-Benz. The result was a Gutbrod car model featuring the world’s first fuel injection system. Despite developing the technology themselves, Mercedes took a further 3 years to release models with fuel injection engines. The small Gutbrod Superior was manufactured between 1950 and 1954. The Gutbrod Superior initially featured a company-made 593cc two-stroke, twin-cylinder engine mounted at the front. For the more costly “Luxus 700” versions, the company improved the engine capacity from 593cc to 663cc in April of 1953, while still producing standard smaller engines for the original model. This engine improvement was claimed to represent a 6-10 hp improvement depending on the type of fuel feed used (fuel injection or carburettor). Reviews from the press on the Gutbrod Superior cars praised their handling and speed but had reservations on the level of comfort they provided. Noise was also a concern at higher speeds (above 50 mph) with reporters noting that having a regular conversation at such speeds was impossible.

A Change of Gutbrod Owners and a New Technical Director

Up until the Gutbrod factory was made to close down in 1954, production of 7726 cars continued. The development of these cars took place at Plochingen am Neckar where their small factory was located. Dr. Hans Scherenberg, Technical Director for Gutbrod at the time, oversaw this development after arriving from Mercedes in 1948. In post-war Germany back then, Mercedes were forced to put a stop on their developments of fuel-injection engines as part of war reparations. At this point in the company’s history, Walter Gutbrod owned the business after the death of his father, Wilhelm Gutbrod, in 1948. Once the sanctions were lifted at Mercedes, Dr. Hans Scherenberg returned to the company in 1952 while Gutbrod continued with the release of the first fuel injection car he helped develop. The Gutbrod Superior was a small car that could seat two persons and came in two versions: the standard model and Superior Luxus. These were the last car models manufactured by Gutbrod after production ceased in 1954.