Description

The Enzmann 506 Super 1300 is a rare and characterful sports car born from the creative vision of Dr. Emil Enzmann and built in Switzerland during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Based on Volkswagen Beetle mechanicals but wearing a sleek, one-piece fiberglass body, the Enzmann 506 was designed as a lightweight, aerodynamic, and affordable roadster with a strong focus on driving enjoyment. The “Super 1300” variant offered more power than the base models and represented a performance-oriented evolution of the original design.

At the heart of the Enzmann 506 Super 1300 is a 1.3-liter air-cooled flat-four engine sourced from Volkswagen. In its uprated “Super” form, this engine produced around 40 to 50 horsepower—significantly more than the standard 1200cc units. While these numbers might seem modest today, the Enzmann’s incredibly light curb weight of around 550 kilograms gave it impressive agility and made it lively to drive, especially on twisty roads or in hillclimb events, where it found a niche among enthusiasts.

The defining feature of the Enzmann 506 was its distinctive fiberglass body, which was molded as a single shell and mounted over a shortened VW chassis. Its styling was clean and futuristic, with a long, pointed nose, a low-profile windscreen, and a tapering boat-tail rear. The Super 1300 retained this aerodynamic shape but often included subtle tweaks to reflect its higher-performance nature, such as improved intakes, exhaust systems, or lightweight wheels.

Inside, the cabin was functional and sparse, reflecting the car’s focus on weight savings and driving purity. Two bucket seats, a simple instrument panel, and basic trim were standard, though some examples were fitted with extra gauges or upgraded interiors depending on the buyer’s preferences. Every car was hand-built, and no two were exactly alike, giving each Enzmann a unique personality.

Production of the Enzmann 506 was extremely limited, with fewer than 100 units built in total. Only a portion of those were the Super 1300 variant, making original, well-preserved examples highly sought after by collectors today. Many of these cars were used in amateur motorsport or spirited road driving, and their rarity means surviving examples are cherished as both historical curiosities and fun vintage drivers.

The Enzmann 506 Super 1300 stands as a testament to postwar European ingenuity. It reflects a time when a family-run workshop could take proven mechanical parts, wrap them in a radical new design, and create something genuinely special—a car that combined Swiss precision with lightweight simplicity and open-air driving charm.