Ledl AS
| Ledl | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| AS | |
| Production period: | 1981-1987 |
| Class : | Sports car |
| Body versions : | Coupe |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 1.3-1.6 liters (51-77 kW) |
| Length: | 4170 mm |
| Width: | 1710 mm |
| Height: | 1090 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2385 mm |
| Empty weight : | from 850 kg |
| Previous model | Ledl thong |
The Ledl AS is a two-seater sports car from the Austrian company Ledl , which was manufactured between 1981 and 1987 in a number of 249 copies. The vehicle has an in-house developed floor pan, so it is not a kit car , even if numerous parts from vehicles from other manufacturers were used.
development
From the prototype Ledl Tanga presented in 1978, the series model Ledl AS was developed in extensive tests and presented in September 1981 at the IAA in Frankfurt . The abbreviation AS in the type designation stands for Austrian Sportscar . The reason for the name change was that the originally intended name Tanga was too similar to the name Targa used by Porsche .
The two-seater sports car has a body made of GRP and uses numerous parts from series models from other manufacturers - for example, the pop-up headlights come from the Porsche 928 , the taillights from the Ford Granada and the handbrake from the Renault R8 . However, numerous Austrian companies were also commissioned with the production of supplier parts. Proven technology was also used for the engine, but the CVH four-cylinder engines from Ford that were used, with their comparatively low power, were a little at odds with the body, which was reminiscent of a super sports car.
After a promising start - 128 orders had been received by autumn 1982 - the problems with the Austrian bureaucracy began: despite a successful inspection by the TÜV in Munich , the Austrian authorities refused Ledl AS permission to drive. Thus Günter Ledl was denied the important domestic market, only 17 vehicles could be registered in Austria by court order. But exports were still associated with some difficulties at this time, such as the customs formalities required before Austria joined the EU . Nevertheless, vehicles could be delivered to Germany, France and the USA, and copies of the Ledl AS even made it to Japan, New Zealand and the Ukraine.
In 1987, the introduction of mandatory catalytic converters in Austria meant the end for Ledl AS. Although the 1.6-liter injection engine of the Ford Escort XR3i had an operating license, the Ledl AS failed the official examination. The delivery of a suitable engine from Ford would have taken too long and the resulting loss of production would have been unbearable for such a small company. A total of 249 copies of the Ledl AS were made, only twenty of which were made by the AS 130 model.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Auto Revue 3/1984, p. 39
- ↑ http://www.carfolio.com , accessed July 16, 2009
- ↑ Auto Revue 10/2008, pp. 120–126
- ↑ Austro Classic 3/2004, p. 22 ff.
