Jehle

Search By Model (insert logo here)

Defunct

Jehle was a car company based in Liechtenstein which operated during the late 1970s to the early 1990s.

Founded by tuner Xaver Jehle, it was the only car company ever to be based in that country. Jehle started with the Mathies-Buggy and the Jehle Safari; Mathies seemed to be a partner in the company and the Buggy wasn´t driven by the typical Volkswagen Beetle engine but the flat Volkswagen Bus 1600 cc engine, while the Safari was a Citroën-Boxer-based fun car similar to the Citroën Mehari, both were sold as kits. One spectacular model, the Saphier, was a wedge-shaped coupe, whose upper body section opened completely for access to the cockpit; it was offered in a variety of configurations. The basic model was built on a VW Beetle floorpan with a turbo-charged Golf engine, while at the upper end of the lineup was a mid-engine model with monocoque construction and a tuned 5-liter Ford V8.There were also heavily tuned conversions of the italian De Tomaso Pantera and Longchamps with catalyzer, double-turbocharger, five-valves per cylinder and up to 600 hp. The company also built a prototype V12 coupe reminiscent of the Lamborghini Countach before folding.

References

• Lawrence, Mike, A to Z of Sports Cars. Bideford: Bay View Books, 1991. ISBN 1-870979-81-8
• Auto Katalog Motorbuch-Verlag 1979 to 1992