Gumpert, the German maker of insane road racers with a flair for aggressive design, is no more. With the passing of Weismann last week, this is the second German automotive death in just the month of August.
The company is being liquidated, and the last employee was laid off in July, according to German publication Otz (not to be confused with Otzi). It's a shame, as the company apparently received a new investor back in March, and the company founder was quite literally euphoric:
The sports car manufacturer GSM GUMPERT Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH is launching into the coming few years with a new investor. An enlargement of the product range is planned.
Managing Director Roland Gumpert commented euphorically on the future of his company, “Our distribution and dealer networks are being expanded worldwide and sister models will soon be added to the apollo . What’s more, we’ll already be presenting the first of these models this year at a major trade fair”.
Poor guy. The company had already attempted a comeback from insolvency once before, with the Gumpert Torante planned, but this time it looks like the shutdown is for good.
I'm honestly kind of fascinated whenever a new supercar company starts up. There's plenty of enthusiasm, especially from the motoring press, as we love anybody with a different idea of how to do things. Though it is hardly surprising when one who's product features fixed seats, racing suspension and trim, and an engine capable of putting out over 700 horses goes belly up. The European economy is still just barely stumbling along, and Asia still isn't great, and without US sales it can be hard to keep a company going.
Let's all remember Gumpert now with this wonderful in-car lap video:
And now let's all mourn it with Sarah McLachlan:
In the aaaaaaaaaaarms of an angeelllllllllll.....
Photo credit °mario°
Gumpert Goes Bust With Bankruptcy