Apal was a small automobile manufacturing company founded in Blegny-Trembleur, Liège Province, Belgium by glass-fibre specialist Edmond Pery in 1961. The company debuted with a GT coupé with gull-wing doors, powered by Volkswagen or Porsche engines, at the Brussels Autosalon in 1962. In 1965, Apal began producing a Formule V single-seater, followed by the mid-engined sports car Apal Horizon GT in 1968 and 1969.
History
Apal is a Belgian automobile manufacturer founded by Edmond Pery, a glass-fibre specialist in 1961. The company presented its first GT coupé model with gull-wing doors and a Volkswagen or Porsche engine at the Brussels Autosalon in 1962. In 1965, Apal started producing a Formule V single-seater. One of the most successful models produced by Apal was the Apal Speedster, a replica of the Porsche 356 Speedster built on a VW Beetle floorplan. The company produced 700 of these models between 1981 and 1994. Another noteworthy model was the Apal 1200 Saloon, which had a thrust-forward nose, a well-sloped curved one-piece windshield, and a rear-mounted engine. The company also developed the Apal Horizon GT, a mid-engined sports car that was produced in limited numbers in 1968 and 1969. Between 1968 and 1981, Apal produced about 5,000 glass-fibre bodies for different buggy models such as Apal Buggy, Apal Rancho, Apal Jet, Apal Auki, and Apal Corsa. In 1984, Apal developed a two-seater sports coupé using Mercedes-Benz W201 underpinnings, called the Francorchamps, which was developed with an American company. However, due to the weakening dollar, the project became untenable, and only two copies were built. The company's last model, named the Apal Sport One, based on the Pontiac Fiero, appeared in 1992. Despite producing and selling all its models in limited numbers, Apal has left a mark in the automotive world with its innovative designs and unique models.
