Nembo

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Nembo is a former automobile brand . In any case, the early 1970s was the brand in the Italian South Tyrol resident of individual sources previously in 1968 in Baden-Wuerttemberg . It only existed for a short time until 1971.

The automobile brand discussed here has no connection with the Italian body shop or the Nembo brand , under which the Neri e Bonacini company from Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region repeatedly presented exclusive high-performance sports cars between 1960 and 1967.

The only vehicle model was a passenger car of the same name , which was offered until 1971 and was produced in small numbers. Under the name Nembo sporty two-seater emerged coupe for the road with plastic - body and the chassis of the Volkswagen Beetle .

As a brand name, Burgert is occasionally given differently - according to the manufacturer - and Nembo only as a model name.

Before or in parallel, the manufacturer, which was initially based in Baden-Württemberg from 1968, also operated the Nice automobile brand .

Manufacturer

The details of the manufacturer of the Nembo are contradictory. Depending on the source, the producer was the company Burgert-Kunststofftechnik , Burgert Srl. or Burgert Product / Burgert Products , each based in Toblach (Dobbiaco) in South Tyrol.

The Burgert company names one source , first in Merklingen in Württemberg , then in Toblach in South Tyrol.

Sources that classify the Nembo , and in some cases also the Nice, as models of the Burgert brand name D. + M. Burgert in Merklingen, then Burgert Products in Toblach or D&M Burgert first in Stuttgart, then in Toblach or just Burgert Kunststofftechnik in Toblach .

In any case, the automobile production of the Nembo ended in South Tyrol in 1971.

The Upper Bavarian company Burgert Product , Brückenstraße 35 in 8201  Kolbermoor, took over sales in the Federal Republic of Germany . As Burgert Product GmbH , the Upper Bavarian company specialized in air conditioning , ventilation , heating and insulation technology in the early 1970s . The company later moved within the village and now operates as Burgert & Geldner GmbH . It is still associated with plastics processing today and sells elastic connectors under the Duroflex brand , which are manufactured at the Tyrolean headquarters in Vomp .

Brand and vehicle history

The Nembo was presented to the public in early 1970. It was launched in 1971. In the course of marketing, a five-page, extensively illustrated test report on the Nembo was published in the specialist journal Hobby - Das Magazin der Technik in 1971 .

The background for the naming is not known. According to one source, even the manufacturer was unable to give a specific meaning when asked. Another source speculates that "the similarity (of the Nembo ) to the Nembo model presented by Ferrari in the mid-1960s was apparently intentional".

Nembo is the Italian word for "thunderstorm" or "storm cloud", also " nimbus ". It is also the name of a famous Italian paratroopers - Division during World War II , an Italian destroyer - / torpedo boat class from before to after the First World War and the nickname of the 18- cylinder - double star - aircraft engine A.80 RC.4 by Fiat SpA

According to the vast majority of sources, the Nembo was the only vehicle model that the manufacturer produced in South Tyrol, while the Nice was only made in Württemberg. The Nembo thus acted as the successor to the Nice .

It was a bit more angular in design, more comfortable in concept and better suited for everyday use. The Nembo is rated as “quite neatly shaped”, “rather angular” and “elegant styling”; The Nice had already been attested to have an “elegant sports car look”.

Only after a few sources did the Nizza and the Nembo emerge in parallel as kit cars in Merklingen from 1968 .

The production of the Nembo in South Tyrol ended in 1971.

Further sales figures for the Nembo are not known; the production in South Tyrol was designed for one vehicle per week. The prototype was created as a typical kit vehicle. The series vehicles, on the other hand, were offered in largely pre-assembled form and in 1971 cost a considerable  DM 6,300 plus 11% VAT . For comparison: A new VW 1200 cost 4945 DM at the same time, a VW (1600) Karmann Ghia Coupé 8490 DM and the VW-Porsche 914 released in 1969 12,560 DM. VW buggies from Karmann in Osnabrück were available as kits for around 3000 DM and Available as a complete vehicle from DM 8800. There is no evidence that the Nembo was also sold as a complete vehicle.

In the 2010 season, a vehicle manufactured by Burgert took part in historic motorsport .

technology

The Nembo is a plastic coupé with the platform frame , chassis and drive technology of the VW Beetle . There is also a supplied tubular frame to increase stability. The vehicle is four meters long and only 110, 119 and 120 centimeters high. The plastic body fitted on all previous Beetle chassis and was screwed to the Beetle frame and the tubular frame underneath. A shortening of the chassis was not necessary - unlike with some competing products.

The smooth, modern body of the Nembo has a sporty design. The concept is similar to the contemporary Fiberfab Bonanza from 1968, the Brazilian Puma from 1968 and the Custoca Strato from 1970. The comparatively angular front is characterized by small, round double headlights , which, like the black radiator grille, are slightly set back. The design is reminiscent of the Fiat Dino Coupé from 1967 and the Opel Manta of the first series from 1970. The roof structure is characterized by the Targa-like wide roof pillars behind the doors and a large panoramic rear window . The rear picks up style elements from the Alpine A110 , the ATS 2500 GT and, above all, the Bizzarrini GT 5300 . In the few available images, the Nembo can be seen partly with, partly as a racing car without a rear metal bumper . He also has four-hole alloy wheels , an indication that the vehicles shown already had front disc brakes .

In contemporary publications, the body of the Nembo was described as "very fast" and "classy" with "a little Pininfarina " and "a larger loan from Bertone ". In particular, the Fiat Dino Coupé, which is similar in terms of the front, comes from Bertone . On the other hand, there is no apparent similarity to the Nembo models by Neri e Bonacini , namely the Nembo Ferrari . The front of the VW -based Nembo , on the other hand, is similar to that of two special Ferrari 330 GT 2 + 2 from the mid-1960s. The Italian automobile designer Giovanni Michelotti had designed a Targa Coupé called Spider on chassis 6109GT from 1965 and the coupé with chassis number 9083GT from 1967 on behalf of the US Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti .

Due to the lower weight of the body, the smaller frontal area and the more favorable drag coefficient , the performance and fuel consumption of the VW -based Nembo improved compared to the original vehicle. With the conventional 1200 cubic centimeter engine and 34  HP / 25  kW , the Nembo reached a top speed of 143 kilometers per hour at around 4800 revolutions per minute, and for a short time even 147 kilometers per hour at around 5000 revolutions per minute. The values ​​are remarkable in that the Beetle engine normally reached its maximum output at 3,600 rpm and the maximum speed with the series body of the Beetle was only 115 kilometers per hour. From this, the tester derived a particularly favorable c W value of around 0.30.

It was praised that the lower weight of the plastic body, the lower center of gravity and the more favorable weight distribution due to the lack of the rear seats had a positive effect on the driving behavior. In the interior, the Beetle - atypical, large tachometer and the space for a radio was praised, but the lack of a fuel gauge - which was typical for the Beetle for a long time - was criticized.

In the production version, the Nembo was sold largely pre-assembled: the doors, the rear bumper, the engine hood and the front hood that opened to the front were already installed, with all the windows already installed. However, the polyester body was still unpainted. The prepared interior comprised the finished dashboard as well as door panels and a headliner made of black synthetic leather. On the other hand, the buyer had to procure and install a Beetle chassis with engine, horn, steering wheel and the front double headlights.

This made the Nembo comparatively expensive and ultimately could not prevail against the increasing competition from sporty models such as the Ford Capri , Opel Manta or Opel GT .

In retrospect, the plastic bodies from Burgert are ascribed an important pioneering role in terms of production technology and design .

literature

  • Roger Gloor: All cars from the 1960s . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart. 1st edition 2006. ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 395 under Nembo (2) and Nice , rubric: Various small brands as well as Italian special coaches .
  • Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encyclopedia . United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8 (under Burgert).
  • Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italian sports cars . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999. ISBN 978-3-6130-1988-1 under Nembo .
  • Hans-Rüdiger Etzold: The Beetle IV - A Documentation . Alfred Bucheli publishing house, owner Paul Pietsch, Zug, Switzerland. 2nd edition 1998. ISBN 978-3-7168-1890-9 , p. 25 under Nembo / Nice .
  • Marian Suman-Hreblay: Automobile Manufacturers Worldwide Registry . McFarland Books, Jefferson, North Carolina, United States, 2000. ISBN 978-0-786-40972-3 , p. 209 under Nembo .
  • H. K .: Makes the Beetle a hit: Nembo (Autotest), in: Hobby - Das Magazin der Technik (magazine), Issue 12, 1971, pp. 28–32, model presentation of the Nembo with large vehicle images and details of the plastic body.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Roger Gloor: All cars of the 60s . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart. 1st edition 2006. ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 395 under Nembo (2) and Nice , rubric: Various small brands as well as Italian special coaches.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Hans-Rüdiger Etzold: The Beetle IV - A Documentation . Alfred Bucheli publishing house, owner Paul Pietsch, Zug, Switzerland. 2nd edition 1998. ISBN 978-3-7168-1890-9 , p. 25 under Nembo / Nice .
  3. ↑ a b c d e Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italian sports cars . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999. ISBN 978-3-6130-1988-1 under Nembo .
  4. ^ A b c d e f Marian Suman-Hreblay: Automobile Manufacturers Worldwide Registry . McFarland Books, Jefferson, North Carolina, United States, 2000. ISBN 978-0-786-40972-3 , p. 209 under Nembo .
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t H. K .: Makes the Beetle a hit: Nembo (Autotest), in: Hobby - Das Magazin der Technik (magazine), Issue 12, 1971 , Pp. 28–32, model presentation of the Nembo with large vehicle images and details of the plastic body.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m The automobile brands Nembo and Nice on the web portal gtue-oldtimerservice.de , accessed on July 26, 2016.
  7. ↑ a b c d The Nembo and the Nizza KS330 on the bugland.be web portal , accessed on July 26, 2016 (Dutch).
  8. ↑ a b c d e f Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encyclopedia . United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8 (under Burgert).
  9. ↑ a b c d The vehicle manufacturer Burgert on the web portal allcarindex.com , accessed on July 26, 2016 (English).
  10. ↑ The Burgert Nembo on the web portal allcarindex.com , accessed on July 26, 2016 (English).
  11. ↑ a b c d e f g h The car manufacturer Burgert on the web portal dauto.nl , accessed on July 26, 2016 (Dutch).
  12. ↑ Werner Oswald : German Cars 1945-1975 . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart. 12th edition 1987. ISBN 3-87943-391-7 , pp. 33, 40 and 400.
  13. ↑ Dirk Johae, Dr. hc Michael M. Willms, in: Günther Frauenkron (Ed.): Historic Motor Sports - Racing & Rallye 2010 . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, ISBN 978-3-613-30662-2 .
  14. ↑ Literature on historical motorsport 2010 with reference to the manufacturer Burgert on the web portal gtue-oldtimerservice.de , accessed on July 26, 2016.
  15. ↑ Erik Eckermann (Ed.): Car and body - history · production · design - from the coach to the passenger car . Springer-Vieweg, Wiesbaden, ISBN 978-3-658-01193-2 .
  16. ↑ Literature on body construction with reference to the manufacturer Burgert on the web portal gtue-oldtimerservice.de , accessed on July 26, 2016.