▁their ▁use ▁of ▁fi berg lass . ▁G SM ▁narrow ly ▁missed ▁being ▁South ▁Afr icas ▁first ▁sports ▁car ▁mak er , ▁be aten ▁by ▁the ▁GR P ▁Prote a . ▁A ▁D art , ▁Fl aming o ▁and ▁Prote a ▁can ▁be ▁viewed ▁at ▁the ▁Fr ans ch ho ek ▁Motor ▁Museum ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Bob ▁van ▁Nie ker k ▁and ▁Will ie ▁Me iss ner ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁after ▁Me iss ner ▁went ▁to ▁England ▁and ▁st umbled ▁upon ▁fi berg lass , ▁a ▁new ▁technology ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁He ▁wrote ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁van ▁Nie ker k ▁asking ▁him ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁England ▁and ▁further ▁study ▁fi berg lass ▁craft ing . ▁They ▁came ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁South ▁African ▁designer ▁Ver ster ▁de ▁Wit ▁( who ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁Sun be am ▁Al pine ) ▁who ▁helped ▁them ▁style ▁their ▁first ▁car ▁design ▁and ▁taught ▁them ▁the ▁design ▁process . ▁The ▁pair ▁finally ▁found ▁an ▁attract ive ▁design ▁and ▁produced ▁a ▁m ould . ▁One ▁body ▁was ▁made ▁and ▁sold ▁in ▁England ▁to ▁fund ▁Bob ' s ▁trip ▁back ▁to ▁South ▁Africa . ▁On ▁returning ▁to ▁South ▁Africa , ▁they ▁built ▁the ▁first ▁pro tot ypes ▁of ▁the ▁G SM ▁D art . ▁G SM ' s ▁were ▁mainly ▁sold ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁and ▁England ▁although ▁several ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁made ▁it ▁to ▁Canada . ▁ ▁The ▁D art ▁ ▁The ▁D art ▁was ▁G SM '