Editing Troll (automobile)

{{One source|date=July 2022}}{{Infobox automobile
| name = Troll
| image = Troll 1956.JPG
| manufacturer = Troll Plastik & Bilindustri
| engine = {{convert|700|cc|cid|1|abbr=on}} [[Gutbrod]] [[Two-stroke engine|two-stroke]] [[Straight-twin engine|straight-twin]]
| related = [[Gutbrod Superior]]
| wheelbase = {{convert|2000|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| type = [[Sports car]]
| transmission = 3-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]]
| designer = [[Hans Trippel]]
| powerout = {{convert|26|hp|kW|1|abbr=on}}
| body_style = [[2+2 (car body style)|2+2]] [[coupe]]
}}

The '''Troll''' was a small [[car]] manufactured by Troll Plastik & Bilindustri of [[Lunde, Telemark|Lunde]], [[Norway]], from 1956 to 1958. It was one of a few attempts at car production in Norway, and only five cars were built.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Navntoft |first=Søren |date=2020-07-09 |title=The Norwegian Porsche: Troll |url=https://viaretro.com/2020/07/the-norwegian-porsche-troll/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=ViaRETRO |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Design==
The Troll was built as a [[2+2 (car body style)|2+2]] [[sports car]] with a [[Fiberglass|fibreglass]] body, with the intention to build the first non-[[Automotive industry in the United States|American]] [[mass production|mass-produced]] fibreglass car. In the US, [[Chevrolet]] made its [[Chevrolet Corvette|Corvette]] in fibreglass, but no one in Europe had built cars in plastic, except for the [[Trabant|East German Trabant]], which was also a 2-cylinder [[Two-stroke engine|two-stroke]] car. Fibreglass was a relatively new material in the late 1950s, but had numerous benefits, notably its inability to [[rust]] and its light weight (being approximately {{Convert|130|kg|lb|abbr=unit}} lighter than an equivalent metal-bodied car).<ref name=":0" />

The Troll's [[chassis]] was taken from a [[Gutbrod Superior]], and the body was made {{Convert|150|mm|in}} longer to fit on it. Gutbrod also manufactured the Troll's engine, which was a {{Convert|700|cc|cid|abbr=unit}} two-stroke [[Straight-twin engine|straight-twin]] with [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] [[fuel injection]] connected to a three-speed [[ZF Friedrichshafen|Hurth]] [[Propulsion transmission|transmission]]. The engine produced {{Convert|26|hp|kW|abbr=unit}},<ref name=":0" /> propelling the car to a top speed of approximately {{Convert|130|km/h|mph|abbr=unit}}. The Troll was also capable of 5&nbsp;litres per 100&nbsp;km (47&nbsp;mpg).

Due to the complex fuel injection system, there were plans to use a 3-cylinder [[Saab Automobile|Saab]] engine instead, which were never implemented.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
===Development===
The Troll was developed by [[Businessperson|businessman]] Per Kohl-Larsen and engineers Bruno Falck and Erling Fjugstad,<ref name=":0" /> and designed by [[Hans Trippel]].

The first car was revealed to the press in October 1956. It was not completely finished, and although the form of the chassis was final, the car could not be driven. This car was later used as a prototype, and many changes were made during later testing. Norwegian and foreign press showed much enthusiasm towards the project, and the car was compared to those from brands like [[Porsche]], [[Citroën]] and Saab.

===Production and bankruptcy===
The first Troll was sold to a customer on May 1, 1957.

As production commenced, Kohl-Larsen faced difficulty obtaining a permit from the Norwegian government to sell the Troll. He was allowed to sell only 15 cars in Norway, the reason being a [[barter]] treaty Norway had with the [[Soviet Union]] and [[Eastern Europe]] to buy cars from them as they bought fish products from Norway. As such, the government was afraid that domestic car production would disrupt this trading balance. Kohl-Larsen therefore started plans to export cars to [[Germany]] and [[Denmark]], with requests from other countries like [[Finland]] and [[Belgium]]. At one point, the company had plans to build 2,000 cars per year, but settled on one finished car per day afterwards.

Troll Plastik & Bilindustri was also unable to secure the [[investment capital]] necessary for large-scale production. When the Norwegian government made their lack of support for the Troll clear, all potential investors closed negotiations, resulting in bankruptcy in early 1958.

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050405222109/http://home.online.no/~bjarnli/troll/index.html Online.no: The Troll automobile]

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[[Category:Car manufacturers of Norway]]
[[Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Norway]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of Norway]]
[[Category:Cars introduced in 1956]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1956]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1958]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Norway]]
[[Category:1958 disestablishments in Norway]]