Beutler
Overview
The best known Swiss coachbuilding firm of Beutler in Thun became bankrupt on September 8, 1987. Brothers Fritz and Ernst Beutler - Fritz was the builder and technical expert while Ernst was the designer and draughtsman - set-up the company immediately after the war, mainly producing special bodies for existing chassis.
The company began with a Healey, that was then an entirely new English marque. After they had supplied several Healey specials, they built a number of specials on Bristol running gear. In 1949, Beutler's built a number of convertibles based on brand new Porsches from Austria. Porsche became a trusted supplier of chassis and the brothers made a number of different versions, including even a four door saloon.
The Beutler brothers were always looking for niches in the market left by the mainstream makers. Hence they built a Porsche with enough room for four gown-ups and a four door VW Beetle, plus a number of superb sports cars.