BENETSCH IN THE 1960S - Premium yet En-Masse
After a moderately successful landing in Letara during the early 1950s, Benetsch had to weather the country’s economic problems; While the rich were still capable of buying new cars, the Soresian company still found itself having to reduce the imports of its expensive, aluminum then-flagship, the Buhrie. In such conditions, most premium companies would avoid making commitments - but not Benetsch. Betting early on the economy’s recovery, Benetsch dropped several hundred jobs towards the cause directly by building a local final-assembly plant. This plant, however, was not meant to assemble Buhries; Instead, a new car would be put together within its walls.
The Benetsch Gwesda was the linchpin of the company’s expansion plan: a compact luxury car, packing the excitement and prestige of Benetsch’s earlier models into a smaller, cheaper and - critically - steel-bodied package. With a 98-inch wheelbase, it was nimble and light - and powered by lightweight, all-aluminum V6 engines.
The Gwesda 31 Fierst is the straightest example of the ‘downsized luxury’ vision. With interior quality not losing a single step to the likes of the Buhrie, the familiar near-fastback styling (though de-finned and squared off for the 1960s) and the brand’s newly developed 3-speed automatic, this car was meant to provide the highest level of comfort you could still lug through a small European town somewhat. Powered by a 3.1-liter V6, this car would climb to 60 in 12 seconds and reach 100 mph with minimal fuss.
But if you needed to go lower, there were the non-Fierst cars, with a comparable equipment level to the lesser Buhries (which were discontinued due to slow sales). The one pictured, a 26U, sports the most basic powertrain - a 2.6-liter V6 and a 3-speed manual - but provides top-tier practicality for a rear-engined car due to being an estate (albeit, as seen below, with a tall engine doghouse) with an added frunk. And it’s still a damn sight more comfortable than a family estate from a mainstream brand.
The advanced unibody construction of the cars allowed them to pass most state-mandated crash tests - included all Letaran ones - with flying colors. For Benetsch, it was good PR in a manufacturer climate where all the economy manufacturers complained of the regulations’ stringency.
As earlier, Benetsch offered a performance version, as well. The 38SK package, available only in the two-door car, transformed the compact into a veritable pony car. Armed to the teeth with the V6’s bigger sibling - a 3.8-liter, 4-barrel V8 - the SK rocketed to 60 in just 7 seconds and pushed on to a top speed of 131 mph.
Said engine, pushing 190 net hp but usually quoted as “235 SAE gross”, uniquely came mated to a 4-speed floor-shifted manual; interior choice was limited to high-dollar ones and always featured a Fierst-style wooden center console. Whereas the other trims were meant to satisfy the needs of a middle class that Benetsch hoped would appear, the 38SK was a hero car, closer in price and stature to the larger models and seemingly only remaining small for the sake of being lighter.
That said, both SK and regular coupe models always came with sizable rear seats. It wasn’t like Benetsch to go crazy - not with a road car, anyways… For true craziness, you need but look at what first rolled up to Lerance Speedway in 1959.
Benetsch had been slow in transitioning from a road race supporter to a modern track stable proprietor, believing road races to be more exciting and realistic in terms of engineering. However, by the late 1950s, racing and road cars had grown considerably - so now Benetsch had no choice but to launch a formal racing program. Before full-blown racing prototypes could be built, the company made do with heavily modified road cars. It’s still more amazing, then, that one such frankenstein was able to race at the highest level of racing in the 1950s: The GBK, a heavily modified streamliner Gwesda, raced in the unlimited class. With a huge 7-liter V8 built exclusively for racing and pushing north of 400 horsepower, this rear-heavy beast was built for endurance and extreme straight-line speed.
So, such was Benetsch at the turn of the decade: Building a hopeful middle class workhorse and occasionally turning it inside out to be a wild track racer. Only time could tell if this strategy had paid off.
