Burton Car Company
By building your own Burton you follow in the footsteps of Dimitri and Iwan Göbel, who started work on the very first Burton back in 1998. For the brothers there was no ready-made body, a warehouse full of parts or a handy construction manual. They had to do with hundreds of sketches, a wall full of photos of old Bugatti's, Delahaye's, Morgan’s and Jaguar's for inspiration, 160 kilos of filler and above all, many hours of sanding and building. At the beginning of the year 2000 the first Burton came out of the mould and at the end of that year the counter was already on 98 orders. Now in 2020 there are over 1300 Burtons made and we are still counting.
It is no coincidence that Iwan and Dimitri designed and built their own sports car. As children of artists they got creativity and the love for making things themselves from the day they were born. The go-kart with moped engine built together with father Göbel still has a place of honour in the Burton showroom: that's where the motorised adventure began. A shared love for the 2CV leads the brothers to start up a business together after their student days: Duck Hunt. As a graduate in business administration, Iwan is the man of numbers while Dimitri, with his art academy background, is the creative driving force of the company. This mix and their shared passion for the 2CV make Duck Hunt a well-known specialist. A self-designed conversion kit to turn a 2CV into a pickup is their first step in building a car themselves, but it is the poor quality kit cars from other manufacturers that made Dimitri and Iwan decide to design their own ultimate version of the 2CV at the end of the last century.
Timeline
1978
1993
1997
1999
2000
2001
2004
2008
2010
2013
2018
2021
1978
In 1978 the Göbel brothers started building their first "little car" together. Under the watchful eye and with advice of Henk Göbel (father) the car began to take shape quickly. A Daf steeringrack and a Zundapp engine were needed to get the car running. The final, driving result can still be admired in our showroom today. The creation of objects is in the DNA of the brothers, as a result they are still engaged with their passion every day!1993
With a passion for the 2CV, the inspiration of various transformations that were possible on a 2CV platform and the growing demand for it, the Göbel brothers decided to establish their company Duckhunt in 1993. Soon one after the other 2CV was converted into a Pick-up or a Lomax. Both concepts proved to appeal to a wider audience and before the Göbel brothers knew it, their "hobby" grew into a renowned company in the automotive world.1997
The Lomax that rolled off the production line at Duckhunt had two rear wheels positioned in the middle. With the knowledge that was gained by building the Lomax's they thought about making their own kit based on a 2CV chassis. This because the Lomax still had its limitations and there was a lot of room for improvement. According to the gentlemen there was more future in a four-wheeler and that was what was being used for the new concept. With a bare 2CV chassis a prototype of foam was started. The focus was on a good seating position and an appearance that would be nicely balanced. All this with a few sketches but without an actual blueprint drawing.1999
The first prototype was not yet very convincing so a second design was being worked on. Called the Hunter. The dissatisfaction was mainly that many adjustments had to be made to the chassis of the 2CV before a new body could be built on it. The new design had to be built without too many modifications to the chassis of the 2CV. This choice ensured that the kit was accessible for every DIY’er.2000
Citromobile 2000, traditionally a big show In the Netherlands that attracts many Citroën enthusiasts. A perfect moment to unveil the prototype! In the meantime, the name Hunter had been changed to Burton. This design was 90% the same as the model we know today. Small details were different. Also, the Burton hardtop was already included in the design. The introduction on Citromobile was a great success and there was a lot of interest in the Burton.2001
After detailing and finishing the prototype it was already 2001, Burton no.1 was ready! During the unveiling there was a lot of interest in the car and soon there were several bodies on order at DuckHunt. Burton no.1 is still in the family today and is used as a daily car by Iwan Göbel. This car has now spent more than 500.000 KM as Burton!2004
In 2004 the company name was changed from DuckHunt to Burton Car Company. This change was due to the fact a lot of confusion was created around the brand name of the kits. This applied to the pick-ups, Lomaxes and the increasing share of the Burton 'Sportscars'. The name DuckHunt also caused commotion and confusion among 2CV enthusiasts. Because besides the kits, DuckHunt also functioned as a 2CV garage and not every 2CV was used as a basis for a kitcar. The name Duckhunt didn’t do the reputation for the passion of 2CV’s any good So the work was continued under the name 'Burton Car Company'.2008
The growing demand for 2CV parts and others sales of 2CV-like parts and Burtons resulted in a depletion of the second-hand parts stock. Also, the quality of the imitation parts got worse and worse which resulted in a lot of frustrations from the workshop. This gave the brothers the idea to start up their own parts line with innovative products where quality is of immense importance. Due to the knowledge and experience gained over the last few years, Burton Car Company quickly developed into an international player in the 2CV parts market.2010
Innovating in times of crisis. Burton Car Company was not sitting still and was ahead of its time! In 2010 the Burton Electric was presented. An electric Burton, developed in collaboration with University of applied sciences Arnhem and Nijmegen. A sustainable innovative project which made it the first Dutch sports car you could build yourself. The Burton Electric could be ordered from the Burton Car Company.2013
During the open day in 2013 the revision department was officially opened. Due to the growing demand for engines, gearboxes, carburetors and front and rear axles, there was a need for a complete department that would be able to realize all this. A spacious setup of the revision department created the possibility to grow within the company and to serve as many customers as possible. The revision department also has the possibility to diagnose, test and develop new innovations. Therefore, the revision products are ready for use for our customers.2018
During the open day in 2018 the dyno department was officially opened. This department is an extension of the revision department because it enables us to fine-tune our products and the cars of our customers even better. By extending with a dyno, Burton Car Company offers an experience and can give answers on questions about the drivetrain of your car.2021
Today more than 1300 Burtons have been delivered in the Netherlands or abroad. From America to Ibiza, from the Netherlands to Africa. Everywhere you can find our Burtons as well as 1300 enthusiastic owners, each with their own Burton adventure.Yet Burton is much more than just a sports car. In the meantime, they have also become one of the largest suppliers of parts for 2CVs, Dyane's, Ami's and other two-cylinder Citroëns. To this day, new and improved parts for 2CV’s and relatives are being developed by Burton, all to enjoy our beloved Citroëns as much and as often as possible. Even more than everything we do, Burton is shaped by who we are: a team of 36 enthusiasts and creatives, with a penchant for adventure. We work with as much love and passion on cars and parts for customers during the week as we do on our own 2CV's, Dyane's and AMI's during the weekend.
