There is nothing like discovering a vehicle that you previously didn’t know existed. Well this 1957 Tempo Matador is the first I’ve ever seen, as a matter of fact I’ve never even heard of the German manufacture Tempo. This one is in need of a complete restoration, but the seller is asking just $1,400 or best offer. This could be a really interesting and fun project, so find it here on craigslist in San Francisco, California. Special thanks to Robert J for the tip!

From these few dark photos it’s hard to tell what exactly you are looking at. From some angles it looks a bit like a VW Bus and others it looks like a full blown work truck. It was designed to be a light commercial vehicle that was cheap to maintain and versatile. Before VW decided to create truck versions of the Bus, the Matador was actually powered by a VW motor, but when they introduced the Transporter they decided to not supply their competitor with motors. While Tempo Werkes had to turn to VW for motors they were actually a long established German manufacture, but after WWII the company struggled to find it’s place in the global market. While they saw some success in the domestic market, it wasn’t until the mid ’50s when the company partnered with Firodia Ltd. to produce three wheel vehicles for the Indian market that the company really saw success at a global level. In 1966 they partnered with Hanomag AG to build the Henschel and in 1971 they were bought out by Daimler-Benz.

After the VW motor supply dried up, Tempo was desperate to find a new engine for their truck so they turned to Austin. The 1.5 liter Austin built A50 is by no means a power house motor, but it was actually an improvement over the air cooled VW unit. Unlike the Transporter or most work trucks, the under cab motor doesn’t power the rear wheels, but the front ones. It might seem like an unusual configuration for a work truck, but actually proved to be effective for most jobs. This truck is going to need a lot of work, as there is rust on the cab and in the floors. As long as the rust is localized to the body and hasn’t spread to the frame, this shouldn’t be an extremely difficult project. Sourcing replacement parts could present be a challenge though.

The Matador might be one of the more unusual trucks I have seen in a while, but there is something appealing about it. It is similar enough to a VW to be mistaken for one at first glance, but the subtle differences draw you back in for a second take. I’m not sure about parts supply, but given how much of the truck was outsourced it might not be that hard to find most parts. This truck has lots of potential, but it is going to take an owner with a lot of knowledge and know-how. In the right hands, this could be one cool truck! So any takers?