Dortmund Type 65

The Dortmund 65 is a car produced by Dortmund Motor Company from 1965 to 1971.

65
The model 65 was a small family car replacing the model 57. This car was aimed at small European imports as well as the ALTA 1600. The 65 was originally introduced as a 2-door sedan and wagon in the spring of 1965, but by the end of the year began producing a cabriolet version. The 65 was produced virtually unchanged until 1971, with a heavy facelift done in 1969. The cabriolet version was produced until 1968.

The 65 wagons and sedans all came with a 1.7 liter, 66 horsepower 4-cylinder engine, good for about 78 mph. The Convertible was available with this standard 1.7 engine, but buyers also had the option of a 2 liter, 85 horsepower engine which gave it a top speed of 88 mph.

Pricing for the 65 started at 2000 Th. for the sedan, 2,400 for the wagon and a pricey 3000 for the roadster (in 1965). By 1970 the price had risen to Th. 2600 for the sedan and 3000 for the wagon.

1480 cars were sold in the first year alone (and about 985 were sedans). Sales began dropping in 1967 (from a peak of 2,850 in 1966) and would not recover. The convertible was the rarest of these with only 95 being produced in its 3 years.

Type 65L
The Type 65L was a small "personal-luxury" car introduced by Dortmund in 1966. Taking its styling cues from the latest American and European design, it was one of the finest Brunanter cars in the decade. The 65L was in essence a standard 65, but with a longer wheelbase, the 65 roadster's bigger engine and a unique styling.

The original car was plagued by build problems, limiting its first-year sales to just 71. Its high price of 3800 Th. also kept potential buyers away. By 1967 the problems were corrected but sales barely jumped to 89. In 1968 and 1969 the price rose to Th. 4000 and sales slid further. To combat this, the 65L was completely redone in 1969. Many of its components were taken out of the standard 65, including the engine, interior and other details. The price was reduced by 500 thalers and sales rose to a record 130. To further save costs, the 1971 65L became a facelifted standard 65, with a few added luxuries. This "new 65L" was a flop and sales fell to just 40. This car was produced unchanged until 1972.