Editing Gutbrod

{{Short description|Former automobile manufacturer}}
{{Infobox company
|name             = Gutbrod
|logo             = Gutbrod Emblem.jpg
|trading_name     = 
|native_name      = 
|native_name_lang = 
|romanized        = 
|type             = 
|traded_as        = 
|industry         = 
|genre            = 
|fate             = 
|predecessor      = 
|successor        = 
|foundation       = 1926
|founder          = Wilhelm Gutbrod
|defunct          = 
|location_city    = 
|location_country = German
|locations        = 
|area_served      = 
|key_people       = 
|products         = cars, motorcycles, agricultural machinery
|production       = 
|services         = 
|revenue          = 
|operating_income = 
|net_income       = 
|aum              = 
|assets           = 
|equity           = 
|owner            = 
|num_employees    = 
|parent           = 
|divisions        = 
|subsid           = 
|homepage         = {{URL|www.gutbrod-online.eu/}} 
|footnotes        = 
}}
[[Image:Gutbrod hinten-links.jpg|thumb|Gutbrod Superior]]
[[Image:Gutbrod Superior 1951.jpg|thumb|Gutbrod Superior 1951]]
'''Gutbrod''' was a German [[manufacturer]] of cars, motorcycles and small agricultural machinery.  The firm was founded in [[Ludwigsburg]], [[Germany]] by [[:de:Wilhelm Gutbrod|Wilhelm Gutbrod]] in 1926.  It originally built "Standard" branded [[motorcycle]]s.  In 1933 the company relocated to the nearby [[Stuttgart-Feuerbach|Stuttgart suburb of Feuerbach]], and from 1933 to 1935, [[Standard Superior]] cars were built with [[rear-engine design|rear-mounted engine]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Oswald |first=Werner |title=Deutsche Autos 1945-1990, volume 4 |publisher=Motorbuch Verlag |language=de |year=2001 |isbn=3-613-02131-5 |page=478}}</ref>

An updated version of the Gutbrod Superior introduced in 1953 benefited from developments towards fuel injection undertaken by [[Mercedes-Benz]] dating initially from 1935: this Gutbrod was the first car in the world to be offered with fuel injection,<ref name=AutoMotoruSport20023/> some three years before fuel injection appeared in a production engine offered by [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL|Mercedes]] themselves.

The small '''Gutbrod Superior''' model was produced from 1950 to 1954 using the company's own, [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|front-mounted]] twin-cylinder [[two-stroke engine]]s initially of 593cc.   In April 1953 the engine size was increased to 663 cc for more expensive 'Luxus 700' versions of the car, while the standard model continued to be offered with the original smaller engine.<ref name=AutoMotoruSport1973>{{cite journal| title = Vor 20 Jahren: Test Gutbrod Superior (ie a page of extracts from the same magazine's edition of exactly twenty years earlier | journal = [[Auto, Motor und Sport|Auto Motor u. Sport]]| volume = Heft 8 1973| pages = Seite 90 |date = 14 April 1973}}</ref>  Claimed power output was {{convert|20|hp|abbr=on}} for the base version, while for the larger engine {{convert|26|hp|abbr=on}} or {{convert|30|hp|abbr=on}} was claimed according to whether fuel feed came via a [[carburettor]] or a form of fuel injection.<ref name=AutoMotoruSport1973/>  Press reports commended the speed and secure handling of the cars but indicated that the sporty handling came in return for sacrificing some comfort.<ref name=AutoMotoruSport1973/>  It was also noted that normal conversation became impossible at speeds above about 80&nbsp;km/h (50&nbsp;mph) due to the noise.<ref name=AutoMotoruSport1973/>

7726 cars were produced before the factory was forced to close.  The car was developed at the company's small factory at [[Plochingen|Plochingen am Neckar]]<ref name=AutoMotoruSport197619>{{cite journal| title = Errinern Sie Sich? Entwurf von Meisterhad: Gutbrod Superior | journal = [[Auto, Motor und Sport|Auto Motor u. Sport]]| volume = Heft 19 1976| pages = Seite 72–75 |date = 15 September 1976}}</ref> by Technical Director [[Hans Scherenberg|Dr. Hans Scherenberg]] during the time of Walter Gutbrod who had taken over the firm in 1948 on the death of his father, Wilhelm Gutbrod (26 February 1890 - 9 August 1948).  Scherenberg arrived at Gutbrod from [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] where the victorious [[Second World War|war-time]] [[Allies of World War II|allies]] had enforced a pause in engine fuel-injection development,<ref name=AutoMotoruSport20023>{{cite journal| title = Hans Scherenberg 90 Jahre | journal = [[Auto, Motor und Sport|Auto Motor u. Sport]]| volume = Heft 23 2000| pages = Seite 14 |date = November 2000}}</ref> and in 1952 he would return to that firm.

A Gutbrod injection engine can still be seen in the [[Deutsches Museum]] in [[Munich]].

It was a small two seater car, the overall length was {{convert|3.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, width {{convert|1.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} and the total weight {{convert|650|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}, max speed {{convert|90|km/h|mi/h|0|abbr=on}}.  The car was offered as standard version for a price of [[German mark|DM]] 3990, and as Superior Luxus for DM 4380.  Recently, a restoration project of an injection model was sold in [[Geneva]] for [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 3000.

In 1956, the [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[Troll (automobile)|Troll]] car was built on a Gutbrod chassis. pioneering the use of [[fibreglass]] in automobile coachwork along with the [[Chevrolet Corvette]] as well as some other small scale car manufacturers.

== Vehicles ==

Threewheeler
*Progress 200
*Standard Hermes
*[[Standard P203]] and P503
*[[Standard E1]]

Vans and pickup trucks
*Standard Merkur
*Standard Progress
*Standard H204, H504, HV504, H254<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dorotheum.com/de/l/5273642/ |title=Standard - Automobilia 26.06.2018 - Erzielter Preis: EUR 20 - Dorotheum |access-date=2019-11-29 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191129105735/https://www.dorotheum.com/de/l/5273642/ |archive-date=2019-11-29 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*Standard Heck 504, 604
*[[Gutbrod Atlas]] 800, 1000, 1000/3, 800/H, 700

Passenger cars
*[[Standard Superior]] 500
*[[Gutbrod Superior]], Superior Sport-Roadster, Superior Kombinationswagen (Stationwagon), SuperiorLuxus 700 
*Gutbrod Superior Viersitzer 600 (Fourseater)
*Gutbrod Farmax

Tractors
*Gutbrod ND 15
*Gutbrod ND 25
*Gutbrod ND 36

==Further reading==
* (German) Otfried Jaus, und Peter Kaiser: ''Standard Motorräder – Gutbrod PKW und Lieferwagen – Neben den Grossen - Handwerklicher und Kleinindustrieller Fahrzeugbau in Württemberg '', Johan Kleine Vennekate Verlag, Lemgo 2019, {{ISBN|9783948437008}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Gutbrod (company)}}
* [http://www.standard-gutbrod.de German Standard-Gutbrod-Friends Interest Community]
* [http://68957.homepagemodules.de./ Standard-Gutbrod Forum]

{{MTD Products}}

[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1926]]
[[Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Germany]]
[[Category:Rear-engined vehicles]]
[[Category:Rear-wheel-drive vehicles]]