The most beatiful American kit car ever built of 1970s

Forgotten DREAM As we know that Americans are known to be very creative in creating sports cars based on Beetle chassis. Although only in terms of appearance, not in terms of performance, and most importantly an affordable cost. Because in the 1960s and 1970s there were a lot of companies in the US that 'did something with plastic' and started producing kit cars.

The Amante GT has a very low profile (about 113 cm) featured also with the front, rear, and side windows are taken from the AMC Rambler Marlin. (Picture from: Amante GT-A Californian Dream)

Among those automakers, there's a Santa Clara, California based company named Hebina Plastics founded by John Hebler, and John Ubina, both were former employees of an American well-known glass-fibre kit car company Fiberfab, later the company had introduced a unique sports car called the Gazelle in 1969, but never got it into series production.

Leaflet about the Gazelle sports GT kit car produced by Hebina Plastic in 1969. (Picture from: CarForgottenStories)

The sports car has a very low profile (about 113 cm) and looks like it could go over 200 kph, if you put a Porsche engine on the back. Besides such drivetrain option above that accompany the Beetle's boxer engine as its standard, turns out that the maker provided another options that consumers can take, namely the Corvair engine.

The Amante GT also has a pair of headlights with cover able to open-close mechanically. (Picture from: Amante GT-A Californian Dream)

To provide strength to the car, the automaker placed steel profiles on the sides and under the body plus steel roll-bars could be installed as an option. All of those were integrated into one during the plastic bodywork molding. As you can see, the front, rear, and side windows are taken from the AMC Rambler Marlin plus a pair of headlights and cover able to open-close mechanically.

To provide strength to the Amante GT, the automaker placed steel profiles on the sides and under the body plus steel roll-bars could be installed as an option. (Picture from: Amante GT-A Californian Dream)

In 1970, Hebina Plastics experienced complicated financial problems, so then the kitcar business was acquired by Bill Voegele through his owned company Voegele Industries. Albeit the Gazelle was a classy product, much better than Fiberfab production, but it was not yet at the level of quality Voegele wanted.

The Amante GT has a more vibrant dashboard with the Beetle clock placed, and ceiling console with all kinds of control buttons. (Picture from: Amante GT-A Californian Dream)

To assure the quality and reliability of its products, the company used high-quality plastic, then changed its product name from Gazelle to Amante GT, which also received several significant modifications, such as a different rear end, and a more vibrant dashboard with the Beetle clock placed. Even the customers can install an air conditioning device on the dashboard. Then the console on the ceiling with all kinds of control buttons, like an airplane has.

During the 1970s the Amante GT had also appeared in the television series Mission: Impossible. (Picture from: Imdcb.org)

For its debut, the company' production team worked very hard, and Bill Voegele once said he worked three full days to get everything done on its show car for the 1970 New York International Auto Show. Finally at the time, the Amante GT debuted and sat on display at the company' stand in a splendid British Racing Green colour with a modified chassis, and was fitted with a Ford V8 drivetrain. 

The Amante GT is prepared to be powered by several drivetrain options ranging from the Beetle's boxer, Porsche and the Corvair engines. (Picture from: Amante GT-A Californian Dream)

Besides that during the 1970s this car had also appeared in the television series Mission: Impossible. Apparently that wasn't enough to keep the production wheels turning, the company was unable to further compete in the global automotive market and had to close down in 1972 due to the bad economy condition.

About 150 kits were produced, and mainly sold on the American market, although a few did make it to England, all that's left todays are a small group of enthusiastic owners who interact with each other through social media Facebook. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AMANTE GT | KLASSIEKERPASSIE.NL | UNDISCOVEREDCLASSICS | BARNFINDS | CARFORGOTTENSTORIES | FIBERCLASSICS | ALLCARINDEX | THESAMBA ]

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