Hardy's car service

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Hardy's car service
legal form
founding 1985
resolution 1990s
Seat Berlin , Germany
management Hardy Kalitzki
Branch Automobile manufacturer

Hardy's car service is listed by various sources as a German manufacturer of automobiles .

Company history

Hardy Kalitzki founded the company in 1985 in Berlin . The company's headquarters were (at least 1991 and 1992) at Franklinstrasse 15. The last known sign of life can be found in the Replica & Cabrio catalog, edition 1992/93 . It is not known whether there was any connection with Pilgrim Cars , which offered a similar model of the same name.

Production of automobiles

The 1991 and 1992/93 editions of the Replica & Cabrio catalog identify Hardy as a manufacturer of motor vehicles. Allcarindex.com confirms this, but uses the English term Production info . In the Swiss Automobile Review of December 21, 1989, the company is referred to as the manufacturer. However, despite the same address, the company is given as Hardy Motors . Before December 1989 a vehicle was with the TÜV .

Offer and marketing of automobiles

From 1987 motor vehicles were offered under the brand name Hardy . Allcarindex.com confirms the marketing from 1987 and the brand name. There is further evidence of the offer for late 1989, 1991 and 1992. According to Allcarindex.com, marketing ended in 1990.

Models

Only Allcarindex.com uses the term kit car . There is no evidence in the literature that Hardy offered kits or used the chassis of a (used) car.

There were three different models on offer, but many details are only available for one model.

Hardy Cobra 427

The first model offered from 1987 onwards was a replica of the AC Cobra . This model is not described in the 1991 and 1992 replica catalogs.

Hardy Bulldog Roadster

The Hardy Bulldog Roadster appeared in 1988 . The open two-seater vehicle in nostalgic style resembled a MG TF from 1953. The base was a square tube frame. The body was made of fiberglass . It was powered by a Ford Sierra engine with a capacity of 2000 cc and 100 hp . This allowed a top speed of around 200 km / h. The Automobil Revue states that the TÜV certified the vehicle with a 120 HP engine this maximum speed. Alternatively, a V6 engine from the Ford Scorpio was available. According to the source, the vehicle was 300 cm long ( sic !), 165 cm wide and 135 cm high with a hood. This made it much shorter than the original, which measured 374 cm. The curb weight was given as 800 kg and 920 kg, respectively. The price for a complete vehicle was put at around DM 42,500 at the end of 1989 . In 1992 it was 45,900 DM. Numerous accessories such as leather seats, seat heating, additional headlights, five-speed gearboxes or automatic transmissions were available for an extra charge.

Model maintenance also took place. Until 1991, for example, an unregulated catalytic converter in the basic model kept emissions low. A three-way catalytic converter was initially available at an additional cost and from 1992 as standard. In contrast, the Automobil Revue wrote at the end of 1989 about a regulated catalytic converter that meets the US SB standard. A version with a four-cylinder engine from Opel with a displacement of 2000 cc had been in planning since 1991 .

Four-seat version of the Hardy Bulldog Roadster

A four-seater variant was also offered from 1990. The Automobil Revue confirms that this was at least planned. In the replica catalogs from 1991 and 1992 there is no description of this model.

literature

  • Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encyclopedia . United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8 , Chapter Hardy (III).
  • Hans Peter Weiss, Roland Weiser: Replica & Cabrio catalog, 1991 edition. Max Verlag, Denkendorf 1991, pp. 201–202 and p. 246.
  • Hans Peter Weiss, Roland Weiser: Replica & Cabrio Catalog, 1992/93 edition. Max Verlag, Denkendorf 1992, pp. 192–193 and p. 250.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Linz, Schrader: The International Automobile Encyclopedia.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Allcarindex (English, accessed on July 18, 2014)
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Weiss, Weiser: Replica & Cabrio catalog, 1991 edition.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Weiss, Weiser: Replica & Cabrio catalog, edition 1992/93.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j AR-Zeitung (Automobil Revue) No. 52/1989 of December 21, 1989 (accessed on July 25, 2014)
  6. ↑ Roger Gloor: Post-War Car. Passenger cars 1945–1960. Hallwag Verlag, Bern and Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-444-10263-1 , p. 243.