Fibreglass cars

[garethj]

Chances are that someone out there knows the answer to this...As well as the fine offerings on this site I'm just developing an unhealthy interest in old sports cars. Naturally I'm not about to pine after a tartan-red MGB with chrome wires, but I am interested in low volume fibreglass sports cars of the late '50s and through the 1960s.Is there a book about these fine (and usually failed business) vehicles? Some names might be Ginetta, TVR, Gilbern, Reliant, Peerless.... you get the picture. I thought there might be a Brooklands book or Transport Source Book collection, but Amazon turns up nothing and Google hasn't either.Otherwise it's a matter of trawling through owners clubs websites - any ideas for other cars I should be looking at?

[bigstraight6]

Rochdale, Turner, Fairthorpe are another few I can think of

[RedSparrow]

My dad has an old Berkeley T-60...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_cars

[pogweasel]

My dad has an old Berkeley T-60...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_cars

JAMMY BARSTEWARD!Pics, please.

[bigstraight6]

My dad has an old Berkeley T-60...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_cars

JAMMY BARSTEWARD!Pics, please.

Yes indeed! love to see pics of that!

[Guest]

Add Nickri to your list.

[Ratdat]

Here's one I clocked at a scrappers a while back. No idea what it is though.. anyone?

 

[RedSparrow]

My dad has an old Berkeley T-60...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_cars

JAMMY BARSTEWARD!Pics, please.

Yes indeed! love to see pics of that!

Ok will get some soon!Its a bit of a wreck with a seized engine but if you're really that interested how can I refuse?!

[s2driver]

It looks like the red thing at the scrappers is a Ginetta G3, also marketed as a Fairlite. In fact, it looks very much like this one http://www.1950sspecials.com/Featured%20Fairlite%20previously%20owned%20by%20Richard%

[s2driver]

Sorry, not got hang of inserting images or url s yet. Somebody give me a clue?

[STUNO]

I had a look at the 1950's specials site,that has to be the same car on their site ! BEING RESTORED yeah right !!

[nigel bickle]

Hmmm.I've a Berkeley Se 328 (the 4 wheel one) at the rear/top of one of my barns. 'VAA 912'- in B.R.G.Modified with a Honda N600 running gear & stainless purpose built exhausts,coupled to Fiesta running gear, its a bit of a hooligan -outdragging my 1380cc MG Midget -when so pitted.Used it to tour Europe a few times(-been laid up since the mid90's) & caused loads of excitement on its 2trips to Le Mans (more gurlies thanmy mates in Mondials/911's!).I'm a bit lardy for it now-but kinda loathe to sell.......See if I can find some pics.

[Doobie]

There's a hand full of classic kit car books that might be of interest.

[garethj]

Rochdale, Turner, Fairthorpe are another few I can think of

Cheers dude. Berkley was made in Biggleswade? That's only down the road from me, wonder if there's anything left of where they were?You know how Sniffpetrol has got that flyer for new British sports cars? It was the same back in the 50s it seems:1. Bloke builds car for racing. Humble suspension, welded spaceframe-ish chassis, little engine, fibreglass body.2. Goes alright, someone suggests selling a few3. They make a few in a bloke's shed4. Production grows, they try to export to America5. The original designer leaves6. It all goes to ratshit7. They have at least 3 more goes at starting production after various buyouts.I wonder why we're so consistently crap at this making cars business here

[pompei]

When I was a kid my dad sold the family car and bought a kit car. He was a teacher at the time and had to get two buses to get to work, so I reckon some kind of mid-life crisis cliche thing had set in.I can't remember what it was except that it was based on a Ford Pop. I can remember it had those distictive tall wheels and it was red, and that was it. Dad's no longer around so can't ask him Any ideas what it could've been?

[pogweasel]

Rochdale, Turner, Fairthorpe are another few I can think of

Cheers dude. Berkley was made in Biggleswade? That's only down the road from me, wonder if there's anything left of where they were?

Not a sausage, I'm afraid. They built a 'lovely' bovis-style housing estate on the site of the old berkeley caravans factory about 7 years ago. All that's left is a roadsign, Berkeley Close, which undoubtedly means f*ck all to it's inhabitants, who most likely think that unfeasably cramped homes, gardens, silver audi A4's etc are 'really good'.

[dollywobbler]

When it comes to plastic, I'll have a Citroen Bijou please! Though with a 602cc engine rather than the feeble 435...

 

Shame they only built 211 of them...

 

[Futuramic]

I found a few pictures of some rare gems. I have an Observers Book of Automobiles (not "cars" in those days) from the mid 50s and it gives details of the majority of the cars you have expressed interest in. I got my copy by chance at a jumble sale, probably for nothing, but I'm sure they're about if you look.

 

Anyway:

 

 

Anzani Astra

 

 

Gill

 

Both essentially the same car, powered by a motorbike engine.

 

 

 

Powerdrive. Chain driven by a motorcycle engine with three abreast seating!

 

 

Yet another Anzani powered contraption, but the Unicar was designed by Laurie Bond.

[garethj]

Not a sausage, I'm afraid.

They built a 'lovely' bovis-style housing estate on the site of the old berkeley caravans factory about 7 years ago. All that's left is a roadsign, Berkeley Close, which undoubtedly means f*ck all to it's inhabitants, who most likely think that unfeasably cramped homes, gardens, silver audi A4's etc are 'really good'.

Very sad. When I was in Coventry Uni (or Polytech as it was when I started) they were tearing down the Coventry Climax factory. The gates were still there but nothing else left. I know it's not exactly the National Trust's bag, but still sad to see it all gone.

 

I found a few pictures of some rare gems. I have an Observers Book of Automobiles (not "cars" in those days) from the mid 50s and it gives details of the majority of the cars you have expressed interest in.

I've got some "World Car Catalogues" and there are a few like that mentioned in it too. The photo of the Berkley on the previous page is in the 1958 catalogue so it must have been one of their press photos? Imagine there was some bloke whose job was Marketing Director for Berkley cars. I'll bet he never slept alone

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CLASSIC-1962-HERO ... 0289758921

 

There you go, how about this one

Farkin hell, that's expensive for something that's been cut about so much innit? Having said that, it's just the kind of thing I'm thinking of....

 

After a search from that ebay page, it seems there is a book about this tat!

[pompei]

Try this ... http://www.team.net/www/ktud/specialt.html

[STUNO]

Hmmm.I've a Berkeley Se 328 (the 4 wheel one) Modified with a Honda N600 See if I can find some pics.

That actually sounds very nice!!!

[garethj]

Try this ... http://www.team.net/www/ktud/specialt.html

Golly gosh, I remember that website from whenever I first got on the internet. They linked to the only Tatra page at the time. After all, porn is pretty limited at 14400.....

[STUNO]

Jst thought i would throw in one of the more successful fibreglass cars built in NZ

The HERON it owes a little bit of homage to Lotus and was built for a few years. Sold as a finished car, not a kit

[Spottedlaurel]

After a search from that ebay page, it seems there is a book about this tat!

I was going to say Peter Filby is the god of this kind of thing. He's been writing about them forever it seems.

[garethj]

Boing for this old topic. Things have moved on, I've got my own 1958 GRP car and even though rebuilding it is taking a while, it's quite enjoyable.

 

Here's a taste of fibreglass cars from the good ol' US of Ayyyy.

Kellinson cars, ignore the nasty alloys on the front page and dig deeper into the website....

http://www.kellisoncars.com/index.html

 

Real purdy J4

 

Had the designer been looking at a Jensen CV8?

 

mmmmm, old racing cars, mmmmmmmm

[VWPowered]

bond equipe

 

 

and of cause

 

Bond Bug

 

[garethj]

A pic I found about the US Kellinson cars, sadly a pdf so I've had to do a screen grab

 

Top quality ergonomics there. NOT GR8 4 GETIN IN

 

MRRC, a slot car company are making them in 1:32 scale