It has muscled a Mustang at Speed on Tweed; challenged Kevin Bartlett’s Camaro at Queensland Raceway and tackled Targa Tasmania in 2007. Now the Shannons Goggomobil Dart is set to make its debut at this year’s Aeromil Pacific Classic Adelaide Rally from November 21-25.

And despite its bathtub aerodynamics, wheelbarrow-sized tyres and 250kW power disadvantage compared with the 1974 Porsche 911 RS replica that defending champion Rex Broadbent and navigator Michael Goedheer hope to take to a record sixth consecutive victory, the Dart is expected to lead the field of around 250 performance cars on a number of occasions during the five day event.

No Goggomobil Dart has ever previously run in Classic Adelaide in the event’s 11 year history, so Shannons National Business Development Manager Paul Gates and South Australian Business Development Manager Ron Prouse will also drive into the history books.

In recognition of Shannons long-standing major sponsorship of the event, the Dart will appear at official scrutineering on Monday and Tuesday next week (November 19 & 20), before heading the parade of participants down King William Street to the Victoria Park Prologue.

The Dart will also lead the field into the Victor Harbour and Macclesfield lunch breaks on the Friday and Saturday of the event and will be on display in Hutt Street at the official finish on Sunday.

Shannons is also continuing its close association with other aspects of Classic Adelaide, sponsoring the popular Classic Tour and Thoroughbred Sport categories of this year’s event.

Now approaching its 50th anniversary, the Goggomobil Dart has all the right credentials to make it a Classic Adelaide winner especially with spectators.

Conceived and built by Sydney fiberglass specialist Bill Buckle, the Dart was introduced in 1958 as a fun, affordable sports car based on an imported German Goggomobil microcar chassis.

Although initially fitted with a diminutive rear-mounted 239cc Glas two cylinder, two-stroke engine producing just 11kW, the Dart weighed a modest 380kg and was thus able to achieve speeds of up to 110km/h or more depending on the gradient, the wind factor and the life expectations of its driver.

By comparison, Rex Broadbent’s similarly rear-engined and air cooled Porsche 911 produces around 260kW from its modified 3.4 litre six cylinder engine, weighs around 1100kg and has a top speed of about 240km/h. It should be a close contest!