Goliath hunting car type 31
| Goliath | |
|---|---|
| Image does not exist |
|
| Type 31 hunting car | |
| Production period: | 1955-1956 |
| Class : | Off-road vehicle |
| Body versions : | Kübelwagen |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 0.9 liters (31–33 kW) |
| Length: | 3530 mm |
| Width: | 1660 mm |
| Height: | 1600 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2150 mm |
| Empty weight : | 890 kg |
| successor | Goliath type 34 |
The Goliath Jagdwagen Type 31 ( truck 0.25 t gl (4x4) , Goliath Type 31 ) is an off-road vehicle built in small numbers, with which Borgward participated in a tender for military vehicles of the Bundeswehr. The guy failed and was not procured.
Development history
At the beginning of 1953, the Koblenz office, headed by State Secretary Theodor Blank , who later became Minister of Defense, asked the Association of the German Motor Vehicle Industry to determine which companies in the motor vehicle industry were able to develop vehicle types and models and then manufacture them later. As a result of this request, various projects for the development of motor vehicles started in the automotive industry. Public funds for these tasks were initially not available. Among other things, there was a desire to build a light, all-terrain bucket vehicle in the small class (1/4 t) as a replacement for the motorcycle with sidecar used in World War II for military purposes. Together with other German manufacturers, the Borgward company applied for the project in this payload class.
As early as July 1954, a prototype was presented during a comparative test on Westerland. This open bucket car with a wooden bow roof was equipped with a water-cooled 2-cylinder injection engine that developed around 42 hp (31 kW). The displacement was 889 cm³. The transmission was very reminiscent of that of the competitor from Auto Union GmbH. The wheelbase was approx. 2200 mm. The prototype had a disengageable four-wheel drive. The narrow angle of approach and departure and the radiator behind the engine were noticeable. Another presentation in December 1954 assumed an engine output of approx. 45 HP (33 kW). In January 1955, the first comparative testing of all off-road vehicles took place in Bonn, at which Borgward was represented with one car made of sheet steel and two vehicles with an aluminum body. These vehicles were equipped with 5-hole wheels measuring 7.00 × 16 and tires measuring 200-16. With a length of 3570 mm and a width of 1660 mm, the total weight was 1500 kg. The alternator delivered 300 watts at a voltage of 24 volts.
The vehicle was of a longitudinally mounted 2-stroke - injection engine with two cylinders from the 900 E Goliath GP driven, a power of 29 kW (40 hp had) and the vehicle to a maximum speed of 90 km / h helped. The vehicle's payload was 500 kilograms. A switchable rear-wheel drive and a fully synchronized 5-speed transmission without reduction with an extremely short first gear, which is intended as an all-terrain gear, ensured off-road mobility. A transfer differential was not provided. The front wheels were suspended from lower wishbones and an upper transverse leaf spring and were steered with rack and pinion steering. At the rear a rigid axle was built into leaf springs. The gradeability was given as 60%. The Type 31 had a ground clearance of 235 mm and a fording ability of 500 mm. The body of the car was in an open design with a convertible top and no doors. She was sitting on a ladder frame. The first prototype from 1954 had a one-piece windshield, tub-shaped "bucket seats" (see: Kübelwagen ), indicators and two beads on the flanks.
Both in the comparative demonstration in January 1955 and in other demonstrations, the Goliath off-road vehicle did not convince. He got stuck in the test area several times, lost parts of his exhaust system in the area and was severely hampered by the extremely low ground clearance compared to his competitors.
For the comparative testing at the Federal Border Guard School in Lübeck, Goliath had reworked, increased the ground clearance significantly and also widened the body. Despite all that, this car could not convince. Hinge joint fractures of the axles occurred more often in the field, gearbox damage arose during the demonstration, the steering wheel gearshift proved to be completely inexpedient. The Goliath showed significant flaws compared to the Munga from Auto Union . In the second test in Lübeck in autumn 1955, the Munga was considerably more convincing. On January 20, 1956, Goliath delivered twelve improved sample vehicles with considerable delay, which, due to the lapse of time, could hardly take part in the comparison test. These vehicles had a reinforced body, turn signals as direction indicators and headlight grilles. Technical defects caused numerous failures. Furthermore, the vehicles are said to have been saddled up again and again when driving off-road.
A Goliath vehicle was towed away by the DKW off-road vehicle. In the experience report of the Andernach teaching team, the defects of the Goliath were listed. Without a doubt, the Auto-Union SUV performed considerably better here too. Little trial and testing phases and many shortcomings contrasted with the lowest development costs until then (spring 1956).
In the joint meeting of the Defense Committee and the Budget Committee in May 1956, it was decided to carry out further tests of the three makes. Orders were placed with Auto Union GmbH for 5000 units and for 50 units each to Porsche and Goliath. Like the hunting car from competitor Porsche, the Type 31 was only procured for test trials, while Auto Union presented its model to foreign armed forces during the development phase and also offered export vehicles in neighboring countries. Auto Union GmbH was considerably more agile. The Bundeswehr received a total of 50 units of this type; therefore 38 vehicles had to be delivered after the Andernach test.
In contrast to the Goliath Type 34, which was subsequently submitted in 1957, it was considered technically immature, and due to the lack of a central differential , the drive train was so torsionally rigid that the teeth of the crown and bevel gears of the rear axle broke during the troop tests . Instead of the Type 31 , the Auto Union Munga model was selected for the German Armed Forces.
The now considerably improved Type 34 with a four-stroke engine was made available to the Bundeswehr in April 1958 for testing purposes in the body variant with 2000 mm wheelbase. After 600 km the car had to be shut down due to an engine failure; a valve spring was broken. The vehicle with the chassis number 34.0100 01 then had another accident on May 10, 1958 during the testing phase and had to be repaired at the manufacturer's works. After that, the test was not continued.
The total of 50 Goliath SUVs that had been procured remained with the troops until they were separated.
literature
- Goliath Jeep, Type 31 (history) in OLDTIMER MARKT , issue 02/87, page 134.
- The story of MUNGA, MIG-Info, club magazines of the MUNGA interest group
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker "
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker ... the Westerland report
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker
- ↑ MUNGA-IG, The story of MUNGA
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker
- ↑ Borgward Collection Würnschimmel: Goliath 0,25gl type 34 , Vienna (April 2007)
- ↑ Ullrich Märker archive ... from the final report of the teaching team in February 1956
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker
- ^ Ullrich Märker archive ... from a letter to the Minister of February 26, 1958
- ↑ Munga IG: What's a MUNGA - the olive of the first generation , as of March 2004.
- ↑ Joint Support: From "MUNGA" to "Wolf" Bonn, July 28th., 2004
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker .... from the interim report "
