Museum Find: 1968 BMW Glas 3000 V8
This coupe represents the last gasp for Glas as a standalone company. Shortly after Glas introduced its V8, the company collapsed into the waiting arms of BMW – a victim of the voracious capital needs afflicting automakers. If this particular example induces déjà vu, that’s because it’s been for sale on and off since at least 2021. We saw it here at auction in February 2021 where it was bid to $63,000, then in Monterey at Mecum, bid to $60,000. It finally sold just a few months ago for $95,000. Now, it is listed here on craigslist where T.J. found it for us – thanks T.J.! The price has been hiked to $145,000 and the car is located in San Francisco, California. None of the listings provide a full accounting of its ownership history, but for almost thirty years of its life, it was housed in a German museum. It remains in superb condition, but is it suddenly worth so much more over the last sale? We’ll investigate below.
Glas was founded in 1883 as a maker of agricultural machinery and parts. It jumped on board the motorized transportation trend in the 1950s, making scooters and the Goggomobile. As it moved upmarket, a larger motor became inevitable. Originally, Glas aimed for a V6, but development costs would be lower if its engineers patterned a V8 off Glas’ existing four-cylinder. In its perilous financial state, the only option was the most economical path. Glas’ first V8 displaced 2.6 liters; this was deposited into a taut-lined, Frua-designed body resembling the Maserati Quattroporte. Independent suspension at each corner and a four-speed manual rounded out the mechanicals; the whole package topped out at 198 km/h – an annoyance since Glas intended to breach 200 km/h. As we all know, there’s a surefire cure for lack of horsepower – and so Glas produced its 3.0-liter V8, still running two overhead cams but now with an honest 160 hp and corporately sufficient top speed. This example’s odometer reading of 84,000 km is said to be original.
Previous listings indicate the car was restored to original specifications in the past, including new vinyl seats with corduroy inserts. Glas didn’t skimp on the instrument panel – seven gauges in a banked display for easy viewing, a grab bar, and that cool Becker Grand Prix radio. The large-diameter, wood-rimmed, three-spoke steering wheel is one of my favorite designs ever.
BMW did not discard the peculiar coupe after it acquired Glas but elected to add the roundel to its nose and market it as a BMW/Glas. Still, the project petered out as BMW was more acutely interested in Glas’ factory – not its cars. Only 389 of these 3000 V8s were made; this example is one of the last of its breed. So! Do rarity, the Frua body, the upmarket interior, and the condition compel a price of $145k? The existence of two roughly $60k bids in one year for this car, and then this comparable example bid to $62k in January… I keep hearing a number starting with a “6” followed by four digits. What do you think?
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Comments
I think it’s beautiful but the market has spoken and the sellers new asking price is out of line with both the buying public and the current economy. I don’t think that economy is going to change for the better for a couple years if not more. Hey if he can sell it for the substantial increase more power to him or her but with the internet as a tool it doesn’t take much searching to find his purchase price.
145k?…….Nope.
No sweat, I’ll go get my checkbook
Wow, I picked it up for cheap and now I will double my “investment”. NOT!
typical used car dirt bag!
At first glance I saw the grille and thought it was a ’78 Pacer with square headlights.
I will guess it will be on FB Marketplace next.
One word graigslist.
Says it all, to quote a famous Aussie movie (The Castle), tell him, he’s dreaming.
If it’s worth what he’s asking, then it should be in an auction.
But it is gorgeous.
Welcome to America. Now rewrite it with mph.
Why?
The odo is in kmh.
The majority of subscribers are U.S. You write to your audience.
It’s in kmph because Glas was aiming for 200 kmph, not 124.27 mph.
With flippers,it’s just about the money – the car’s just
an investment.I really hate to see cars like this just bought
and sold,& not driven & enjoyed.
LOL. That is literally the business model of all used car dealerships for all of car history.
Another example of a greedy flipper looking for “the right buyer” – which means someone with more money than sense.
Seems if someone is looking for the ‘right buyer’ to overpay crazy money for a car the place to find them is Bring-A-Trailer, home of stupid rich tech bros. Not craigslist.
It’s a cool, very rare car. The ‘market’ is whatever someone will pay for it. Which seems to be about 50% less than this dreamer wants.
Neat car, but tend to agree it seems overpriced?
I like the general proportions of Frua styled bodies. as the author notes, it looks a bit like a 2-door version of the original Maserati Quattroporte which I like – but never could quite learn to love the big rectangular lights?
no problem with km/h as it’s in context of the factory’s target performance of “200 km/h”. top tip – you can just divide by 1.6 if it’s all too confusing for you
Hmmm… I wonder if the owner of this Glas is also the owner of a 1940 4-door Merc once owned by Ms. Mitchel?? Seems to follow a similar pricing trend.
Looks great, except those headlights, and that’s just a personal thing, just like the Lambo 350GT, love the car, hate the headlights.
How come no rear end pics?
Here’s another term up for debate, “rear-end”. Are we referring to the differential, or the cars backside? Lol
Both. When referring to a car’s mechanical aspects, it’s the differential. But it’s not the differential when you get rear ended.
Late to the party but would you please call an engine an engine and not a motor Michelle. I really enjoyed the rest of your write up on this car.
This is one of my pet peeves and it seems to be happening more often these days. I am slowly being driven insane by this misnomer.
Since the dawn of motoring, the rubbery bits that hold the powerplant in place have been called (dramatic pause) motor mounts.
Now that the comment generator has been started, we can all watch with interest this old debate being rehashed. Myself, I use the terms interchangeably depending on my mood.
I think most of the world calls them engine mountings.
True, while technically an “engine” has pistons and other stuff, and runs on fuel of some sort, and a “motor” is electrical, and runs on electrical current. Personally, I use the term motor, when referring to an engine more times than not, it just rolls off the tongue easier, don’t let yourself get upset over such things lol.
@Terry It sounds like you have already at your destination. Why do you want them to stop using the word as it is defined in the Oxford English dictionary? Are you wanting to have people pretend they are living at some previous time period or part of the planet?
You are lucky, here in UK they insist on calling the whole car a “Motor” and the mill an engine. Drives me potty!! If you have ever watched Mike Brewer on Wheeler Dealers you will know what I’m talking about.
yes, ‘motor’ can B other things like an electric spining dynamo, nukes…
NEVER go to BaT for a price gauge (Bev Hills ♂︎ Club, GullWings Cars, or your uncle [’s son’s friend’s neighbor]).
I actually think it’s ugly. Love the interior, especially the gauge cluster, but the front end is … ugh. If it looked like a Ferrari 365 GT, it would be worth 10 times the $145k asking price.
A “motor” could also be a rubber band like those that power balsa wood airplanes-so my take is that an “engine” is a type of “motor”.
And the there are motorcycles….
In the US it is technically referred to as a motor vehicle 😂