BMW M3 Evo Track days, holidays and a divorce
Porsche 911 Turbo Gilbern Invader Derelict icon rebuilt in 6 months
How to be different for just £6k
PLUS
QUENTIN WILLSON
On which Ferrari, Bristol, Rolls and AC to buy
GAME CHANGERS S TA R S O F 1 9 5 5 C E L E B R AT E D 6 0 Y E A R S O N
• Bentley S-type • MGA • Jaguar MkI • Citroën DS • Alfa Giulietta • Chevy Corvette V8
SPECIAL 15-PAGE GROUP TEST
Daimler SP250
Citroën SM
‘Like a spaceship has landed!’ We put a BMW-owning reader in his French fantasy
AUSTIN-HEALEY 100 EXPLORING NORTHERN IRELAND’S BEST ROADS
I S S U E
From Alfasud Ti to 1000bhp dragster Anthony ‘Wolfrace’ Smith’s life in cars
5 0 1
Unlikeliest race car tested on track
‘These six cars represent the state of the art in 1955’ p48
of 1955: Jaguar MkI, Alfa Giulietta, Citroën DS, Bentley S1, MGA and Corvette V8 48 Stars
Collector: this Alfa collection is unlike any other 96 The
List: we let a reader sample his dream Citroën SM 6 The
S P EC I A L I ST H E L P Insurance 197 | Services 178 | Clubs 215 BUY I N G O R S E LL I N G? Go to classiccarsforsale.co.uk 4
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THE MONTH IN CARS 14 Rétromobile Latin delights dominate Paris thanks to Alfa Romeos and Pegasos 17 Monte Carlo Rallye Historique Ex-works rallycross Porsche 911 breaks cover 19 Statesman Classic Rally, Calcutta Erskine dominates Indian event 21 Events planner As the year wakes up, there’s plenty to savour in the classic world 109 Your letters Memories of Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams. Plus: does the Saab 99 deserve more love? 114 Next Month Lots to look forward to in May’s Classic Cars
the insiders 43 Quentin Willson sees the world of classics as more than just a market-led fad – it’s a movement 45 Tom Tjaarda reflects on the transformation of Torino’s automotive museum into greatness 47 Simon Kidston takes us through how he kept his nerve to land Artcurial’s star attraction
owning COVER Life Cycle With an owner roster as diverse as a rocket engineer and an armed response 64 unit officer, this BMW M3 has lived an equally interesting life on the road and on track COVER Epic Restoration With just six months to return a Porsche 911 930 Turbo back to 78 glory, the race was on for this restoration team. Would they get it all done on time? 92 Life In Cars Former Wolfrace boss Anthony Smith’s petrolhead ways have meant he’s driven or owned everything from a Alfasud through to a Ferrari Dino, via a McLaren dragster 96 COVER The Collector Horror at seeing his beloved Alfa Romeos wrecked in B-movies prompted this Italian collector to save as many as he possibly could 117 Our Cars Russ tries fitting a new roof to his Alfa Spider 2000, Nathan’s Mercedes W123 is treated to rustproofing, and winging it at a car wash wasn’t a wise idea for Sam’s Toyota MR2
driving 6
he List Reader Martin Houston may be used to very fast German performance cars, but he T hankered for a go in a Citroën SM. How did he got on with this French/Italian mix? 48 COVER Stars of 1955 Drivers never had it so good 60 years ago – or did they? We test a Citroën DS, Jaguar MkI, Alfa Giulietta, MGA,Chevrolet Corvette V8 and Bentley S-type 70 COVER Austin-Healey 100 Hooning a 'Healey through Northern Ireland's most engaging Tarmac in search of motor sport and personal history – can road trips get any better? 86 COVER Daimler Dart SP250 An unusual choice for a race car? This Daimler’s tasted success in Sixties America, and back in the UK it was crashed just a week before the Goodwood Revival. It was rebuilt to take its place on the grid in the space of a few days. Now it’s our turn to drive it
buying 26 COVER Smart Buys Quentin Willson reckons it’s time to buy a Ferrari Daytona, AC Cobra Continuation or Bristol 408, while one to watch is the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit 30 Market Watch Extra Russ Smith analyses the latest market moves and rounds up Rétromobile’s auction frenzy, including the spectacular Baillon collection sale 35 Temptations Nine cars that might tempt you into making your bank manager sweat
test: well-travelled Daimler SP250 racer unleashed 86 Track
s ub scrib e
38 Barn Finds Nigel Boothman unearths a garage-bound Ferrari Daytona, uncovers a heap that turns out to be a one-off Bristol 406 and sifts through a field of dreams in Cyprus 102 COVER Buying Guide Seven steps to picking up the finest Gilbern Invader 111 Books and Models New releases on the Alfa Romeo 6C, endurance racing with Porsche and more, plus the latest and greatest scale models reviewed by Sam Dawson 122 Dealer adverts 123 Ads on Test Maserati Biturbo (p123), MGB Roadster (p124), Porsche 928 GT (p127), Mercedes-Benz 600 (p128) 184 Advertise your classic for free 218 Classic Punts A reader tells us why finding a good Ferrari 308 wasn’t a simple task
For the best-value deals, call today on 01858 438884, visit greatmagazines.co.uk/classics or p106
c o ntact us
See p218
5
1980 PORSCHE 911 930 TURBO
A young team new to the classic restoration world had their work cut out for them when extensive body rot was revealed 78
P O R S C H E 9 1 1 9 3 0 T U R B O e p i c r e s t o r at i o n
e p i c
r e s t o r a t i o n s
‘We had six months to repair or replace absolutely everything’ Restoring an Eighties supercar icon is a tough task for anyone. But doing it in the name of Porsche itself in just six months complicated everything Words SAM DAWSON Photography Jonathon jacob 79
Willson’s Smart Buys
Quentin on the Ferrari with room for price rises, AC Cobra continuations and the currently underrated Bristol 408 ‘Daytonas are a platinum-plated investment’ Looks like the Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB/4’s star is shining brightly – yet again. Was it really only seven years ago when coupés were £100k and even the ultra-rare Spyder was still firmly under the million? Well that’s all changed with the Berlinetta now moving towards £700k and Spyders chasing £3m. Chris Evans has just paid £2.7m for his concours Spyder and last year RM Auctions drew $3.3m for a similar car. RM’s February sale in Paris saw a 1969 Berlinetta with period racing mods hammered down at £542,000. Projects that need £200,000 restorations are routinely being offered at £400k and there’s a 1971 coupé that’s been in a Toronto underground garage for 25 years that’s expected to sell for $600k. Here we go again. The Daytona has always been one of the most telling barometers of the health of the old car market. Remember back in the late Eighties boom when they soared to £350k and then fell back when it all unravelled a few years later and flatlined at £75k? And back then we should have snapped them up because we all knew that this was the poster car of the Sixties baby-boomer generation and infinitely more iconic than the Countach and Testarossa. As well as racing success at Le Mans in 1971 and the Daytona 24 Hours in 1973 this was the 174mph road rocket of the seriously rich. As a small child in Paris in the Seventies on holiday with my parents I’d see Daytonas driven round the Peripherique by glamorous lotharios or hurtling down the autoroutes at impossible speeds. The last of Ferrari’s £500k £400k
Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB/4 Aftershocks followed postboom crash
£300k £200k
£100k
£0
Small reset, then prices soared
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
Daytona figures are telling barometer of overall market trends
26
front-engined V12 warhorses, designer Leonardo Fioravanti penned that muscular shape in just a week and when road testers raved at its incredible top speed it became an instant legend. With 1406 built between 1968 and 1973 the Daytona isn’t the rarest of Ferraris but there were only 158 RHD coupés and 122 Spyders – just seven of which were right-hookers. Simply put, even at today’s big money any Daytona is a platinum-plated investment and it won’t be long before ‘ordinary’ Berlinettas touch £800k. And when that happens we’ll really know that the market is in rude health. ‘AC Cobra 427 continuations are the real deal’ With original Sixties 7.0-litre Cobras now sailing towards two million quid the 1991-on Shelby American and AC factory continuation cars are looking interesting. Forensically exact replicas with alloy bodies, they were built at the AC Cars factory in Surrey with COB chassis numbers (5001 to 5012 with a few gaps) or finished in the Shelby Las Vegas facility and fitted with CSX chassis numbers. Don’t confuse these with the raft of replicas with glassfibre bodies and smaller engines – the alloy-bodied 427cu in continuation cars are the real deal and as close as you’ll get to one of the fabled 348 built by AC and Shelby in the Sixties – the machine that was once the world’s fastest accelerating production car. Tom Hartley Jnr has just sold a 1991 AC Thames Ditton factory-built 427 MkIII with just 3000 miles for £249,000. That may sound on the high side for a turnkey copy but it’s one of only 10 built with a top-oiler
engine, perfectly accurate aluminium body and period stuff like drilled pedals, endurance racing fuel tank and Smiths gauges. When you look at the detailing of these continuation cars you realise that building one now would easily burn through £250k and it still wouldn’t have that important CSX or COB prefix stamped into the chassis plate or be listed on the official Shelby register. Auction results show a steady rising of values of continuation Cobras, with RM Auctions selling an ex-Carroll Shelby collection 289 in November 2014 for $225,000. And there have been other private sales recently that have changed hands for between $150k and $175k. Enthusiasts rightly realise that official copies like these make a good compromise when the originals are both impossibly expensive and getting too precious to drive in anger. That’s what this shift in perception is all about. A proper continuation 427 is actually a tighter drive than the real thing with discreet engineering improvements that make it steer, ride, stop and handle better. As long as real Cobras (even 289s are £700k now) carry on rising they’ll pull these faithful facsimiles up in their wake. If it says AC in the V5C, has a CSX or COB chassis number, an alloy body, was built by Shelby or AC with that Ford 427 big block, it’s the next best thing to a period 7.0-litre. And setting the rear rubber alight in a continuation Cobra feels a lot less reckless than doing it in the real thing. And if you’ve ever driven an original 427 you’ll know the experience will be much less scary too – the 7.0-litre Cobra didn’t have a reputation as a killer car for nothing.
Daytona – the pinup for a generation is soaring in price once more, and has some way to go
tradi n g
hig H
Aston V8 Volante result shows even non-Vantage models are getting love
£300k
AC Cobra 427 Continuation IMITATION IS MORE THAN FLATTERY
YEAR
MAKE/MODEL
Where & when
Sold for £
Above est % above
1958
Aston Martin DB MkIII
RM/Jan 16
253,289
39,289
18.4
1978
Aston Martin V8 Volante
Bonhams/Jan 15
102,217
36,217
54.9
1960
Berkeley T60 (no engine)
ACA/Jan 31
3360
860
34.4
1937
Chevrolet Sport Coupé
Bonhams/Jan 15
45,671
12,671
38.4
1962
Chevrolet Corvette 327/360 FI
RM/Jan 16
144,737
29,737
25.9
1963
Chevrolet Corvette 327/340
Gooding/Jan 16
159,211
27,636
21.0
1955
Chrysler C-300 Coupé
RM/Jan 15
83,224
17,434
26.5
1982
Ferrari 512 BBi
Bonhams/Jan 15
235,608
115,608
96.3
1984
Ferrari 512 BBi
Bonhams/Jan 15
213,859
93,859
78.2
1990
Ferrari Testarossa
Bonhams/Jan 15
165,288
35,288
27.1
1960
Fiat 600 Jolly
Gooding/Jan 16
112,171
46,381
70.5
1963
Ford Anglia estate project
ACA/Jan 31
3465
1465
73.3
1957
Jaguar XK140 M roadster
RM/Jan 15
137,500
38,815
39.3
1934
Lincoln KB Convertible
Bonhams/Jan 15
297,228
87,228
41.5
1978
Maserati Bora
Bonhams/Jan 15
86,993
20,993
31.8
1953
Mercedes-Benz 300 S coupé
Bonhams/Jan 15
337,100
137,100
68.6
1967
Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Cabriolet
Gooding/Jan 17
227,960
30,590
15.5
1971
Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
Gooding/Jan 17
115,789
23,789
25.8
1955
MG TF 1500
Gooding/Jan 16
57,895
15,130
35.4
1961
MGA 1600 Coupé project
ACA/Jan 31
10,710
2710
33.9
1933
Packard Twelve Coupé Roadster
Gooding/Jan 16
289,474
59,209
25.7
1958
Porsche 356A Speedster
Gooding/Jan 17
318,421
71,721
29.0
1969
Porsche 911S Targa
RM/Jan 16
188,158
40,158
27.1
1980
TVR Taimar
ACA/Jan 31
9240
2240
32.0
1979
VW Beetle Cabriolet
Gooding/Jan 16
43,421
7236
20.0
tradi n g
£250k
Jaguar XKs have struggled recently, like this XK120 that sold well below estimate
Prices rise soon after production ceased
£200k
Steep jump in wake of ‘real’ Cobra price rises
£150k
£100k
£50k
Price set by them still being built until 2003
£0 2000
2003
l o w
2006
2009
2012
2015
The market has tended to value AC continuation cars at about half the price of originals
With original AC Cobra 427s now nudging £2m, continuation cars are picking up interest
YEAR
MAKE/MODEL
Where & when
Sold for £
Below est % below
1960
Austin-Healey 3000 MkI BT7
Bonhams/Jan 15
36,972
9028
19.6
1964
Austin Healey 300 MkIII BJ8
Gooding/Jan 16
33,289
16,051
32.5
1954
Chevrolet Corvette
Bonhams/Jan 15
36,972
9028
19.6
1956
Fiat 600 Multipla
Gooding/Jan 16
24,605
14,870
37.7
1936
Ford Deluxe Roadster
RM/Jan 15
61,513
17,487
22.1
1940
Ford Woodie
Bonhams/Jan 15
65,245
19,755
23.2
1941
Ford Woodie
RM/Jan 16
50,658
11,842
18.9
1964
Ford Mustang V8 Convertible
ACA/Jan 31
19,425
3575
15.5
1953
Jaguar XK120 fhc
Bonhams/Jan 15
50,746
15,254
23.1
1956
Jaguar XK140SE roadster
Gooding/Jan 17
75,989
22,696
23.0
1960
Jaguar XK150 3.8 dhc
Gooding/Jan 17
144,737
36,163
20.0
1962
Jaguar MkII 3.8
Gooding/Jan 16
34,737
17,893
34.0
1962
Jaguar E-type special
Bonhams/Jan 15
37,697
44,303
54.0
1963
Jaguar E-type S1 3.8 roadster
Bonhams/Jan 15
74,307
17,693
19.2
1974
Lotus Europa Twin Cam Special
Gooding/Jan 17
21,711
4604
17.5
1970
Mazda Cosmo
Bonhams/Jan 15
72,494
19,506
21.2
1957
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
Gooding/Jan 16
108,553
39,447
26.7
1957
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
Gooding/Jan 17
83,224
61,526
42.5
1970
Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
RM/Jan 15
119,408
28,592
19.3
1970
Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
Gooding/Jan 16
65,132
13,818
17.5
1957
Porsche 356A 1600
Bonhams/Jan 15
68,145
13,855
16.9
1959
Porsche 356A Convertible D
Gooding/Jan 16
123,026
24,974
16.9
1967
Porsche 911S 2.0
Bonhams/Jan 15
90,618
19,382
17.6
1972
Porsche 911S 2.4 Targa
Gooding/Jan 17
86,842
28,158
24.5
1973
Porsche 911S 2.4
Gooding/Jan 16
95,888
22,532
19.0
1976
Porsche 911 Turbo
RM/Jan 16
94,079
20,921
18.2
1967
Sunbeam Tiger MkII
RM/Jan 15
90,460
24,540
21.3
1968
Toyota Corona coupé
Bonhams/Jan 15
7249
5751
44.2
1976
Toyota FJ40
Gooding/Jan 16
39,803
9537
19.3
1977
Toyota FJ40
Bonhams/Jan 15
25,373
13,627
34.9
1978
Toyota FJ40
Bonhams/Jan 15
23,198
9802
29.7
27
e n j o y
a
OFFER 1 print EDITION BMW M3 Evo Track days, holidays and a divorce
Porsche 911 Turbo Gilbern Invader Derelict icon rebuilt in 6 months
How to be different for just £6k
y e a r
o f
OFFER 2 IPHONE/IPAD EDITION
plus
quentin willson
On which Ferrari, Bristol, Rolls, and AC to buy
BMW M3 Evo Track days, holidays and a divorce
Porsche 911 Turbo Gilbern Invader Derelict icon rebuilt in 6 months
How to be different for just £6k
plus
quentin willson
On which Ferrari, Bristol, Rolls, and AC to buy
GAME CHAnGERs s TA R s O F 1 9 5 5 C E l E B R AT E D 6 0 Y E A R s O N
GAME CHAnGERs
spECiAl 15-pAgE gROup TEsT
s TA R s O F 1 9 5 5 C E l E B R AT E D 6 0 Y E A R s O N
spECiAl 15-pAgE gROup TEsT
• Bentley s-type • MGA • Jaguar MkI • Citroën Ds • Alfa Giulietta • Chevy Corvette V8
• Bentley s-type • MGA • Jaguar MkI • Citroën Ds • Alfa Giulietta • Chevy Corvette V8
Daimler SP250
Citroën SM
‘Like a spaceship has landed!’ We put a BMW-owning reader in French fantasy
‘Like a spaceship has landed!’ We put a BMW-owning reader in French fantasy
5 0 1
Citroën SM
AusTIn-HEAlEy 100 exploring northern ireland’s best roads
I s s u E
From Alfasud Ti to 1000bhp dragster Anthony ‘Wolfrace’ Smith’s life in cars
I s s u E
From Alfasud Ti to 1000bhp dragster Anthony ‘Wolfrace’ Smith’s life in cars
Unlikeliest race car tested on track
5 0 1
Unlikeliest race car tested on track
Daimler SP250
AusTIn-HEAlEy 100 exploring northern ireland’s best roads
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quentin willson
On which Ferrari, Bristol, Rolls, and AC to buy
GAME CHAnGERs s TA R s O F 1 9 5 5 C E l E B R AT E D 6 0 Y E A R s O N
spECiAl 15-pAgE gROup TEsT
• Bentley s-type • MGA • Jaguar MkI • Citroën Ds • Alfa Giulietta • Chevy Corvette V8
Daimler SP250
Citroën SM
‘Like a spaceship has landed!’ We put a BMW-owning reader in French fantasy
I s s u E
From Alfasud Ti to 1000bhp dragster Anthony ‘Wolfrace’ Smith’s life in cars
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daimler SP250
dart
a t t a c k
This Daimler SP250 racked up a track record of US racing success, but now it’s back home – taking on Brands Hatch Words JOHN SIMISTER Photography RICHARD PARDON
64
l i f e
c y c l e
Th e l i fe story of a
bmw m3 sport evolution Sneaked into the country, this E30 has had many lives: from demonstrator to track weapon, pawn in a divorce settlement to inadvertent blue-chip investment Words Ross Alkureishi Photography Alex Tapley
1990 £34k of Sport Evo is born
Chassis number AC79160 was registered to BMW tuning arm Alpina on March 10, 1990. BMW enforced strict quotas per country – but with demand for the model high, this example was on its way to the UK just a few weeks later.
1990 Swerving the red tape
Using a loophole, Nottingham-based Sytner Group imported the Sport Evo. After just five days Glen Trask – the first owner on the V5 – sold the car on to BMW specialist Windynook Motorsport in Preston.
1990 Time for an upgrade
Owner of Windynook at the time, David Culshaw, confirms that during its 19-month ownership of the car the Sport Evo was used as a company demonstrator. During this time a number of AC Schnitzer upgrades were fitted from Norfolk-based BMW specialist, Rossiters Limited (which is also UK parts distributor for AC Schnitzer). Says proprieter Chris Rossiter, ‘We supplied
Bilstein shocks and lowered springs, top mounts, adjustable anti-roll bars, a strut brace, heated racing door mirrors and a rear panel.’
1991 On the move for £26k
With a relatively tight-knit performance BMW scene in the UK, Rossiters was ideally placed to source and sell cars. ‘We knew Gabby Bliss was looking for one,’ says Chris Rossiter’s then business partner, Chris Wadsley. ‘The car was bought from Windynook and sold on to him.’
1991 First ‘proper’ owner
Bliss used to watch Frank Sytner racing in the British Touring Car Championship and paid £26,000 – way lower than the £35k he would have had to pay for an official UK-supplied car in 1990 – to emulate his hero. ‘I’d had every M3 variant prior to that and when Chris rang and said he could get one, it was a natural progression,’ he says. ‘Its condition was 99 per cent perfect and I fitted the personalised numberplate 100 GJB.’
Bliss gave the Sport Evo much track action in 1991
The car has been cossetted by enthusiast owners and looks factory-fresh in 2015
65
6 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r IES
1955 60th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
S ta r s o f
In 1955 these were the most exciting new cars on the road. Sixty years on does their appeal live up to their reputations – and do they make good classic buys? Words Andrew Noakes Photography Richard Pardon 48
S TA R S O F 1 9 5 5
49
’Healey Highway We drive the Northern Ireland coastline, in search of ’Healey heritage, long-lost family history and the perfect sports car road
Words DALE DRINNON Photography MARTYN GODDARD
70
Austin-Healey 100 ROAD TRIP
71
m y
l i f e
i n
c a r s
‘I sold my Daytona in 2011 when prices were going up… now they’re worth double’ From wheel salesman to Wolfrace boss via winning drag races and owning all sorts of cars, Anthony Smith has lived the petrolhead life to the full Words: RUSS SMITH Photography: RORY GAME
I
t’s been quite colourful – I’ve been blessed,’ says Anthony Smith. ‘I loved every minute of the 35 years I was involved in the automotive industry. My work was honestly my hobby.’ One that continues. ‘In 2010 I sold my company shares and retired at the age of 56 to continue my love and passion for classic cars – particularly Italian sports cars. Well, you have to do something to keep active – it stops you growing old.’ Born and raised in Johannesburg, Anthony can trace the trigger for his enthusiasm back to when he was just four years old. ‘My sister’s boyfriend was a petrolhead – he got me into cars. Just Dinky and Matchbox then, but the seed was sown. ‘I left school in 1972, worked for Barclays Bank for a year and hated it. Then I did 12 months’ compulsory military service and hated that as well. I stayed sane by filling every spare moment with cars.’
Smith, but he regularly used to joke, “It’s your name that keeps you in a job”. ‘Of course I had to fit a set of wheels to the Alfasud; California Deep Dish, which were our best sellers. After a few years I sold it to buy an Escort MkII 1600 Sport, but I’ve had Alfas most of my life – Giuliettas, GTVs, Spiders – but that ’Sud was the best.’
MCLAREN M10B
American car culture was quite strong in South Africa, from big Chevys to drag racing, and Anthony wanted a piece of the action. ‘After South Africa banned Formula 5000 racing Theo bought a couple of the single-seaters cheaply. I was going to take over his Top Fuel dragster, but he told me to learn in this, so I did for a couple of seasons. All we did was change the wheels and put
the company logo on. It was a good way to learn the lights and racecraft, but the gearing was all wrong for drag racing – you had to pull off in third gear. But I stuck at it for two seasons and won some races. Eventually it was sold and restored, and it’s still racing in Historics in New Zealand. ‘I was playing around on two wheels as well – I’ve always had a passion for motorcycles and used to ride off-road bikes with some success. I nearly raced a Husqvarna endurance bike in the famous ‘Roof of Africa’ off-road race in 1976. Unfortunately I was deemed not fit enough, and was too lazy to train.’
DRAGSTER
‘The dragster was imported from the US as a rolling chassis and fitted with a locally
Alfasud
‘It was around 1974 that I got my first proper car, an Alfasud 1300 Ti – before that I’d used my sister’s Beetle. To me the ’Sud was a beautiful car. My friends had Dodge Colts and Opels, but the Alfa handled like a little go-kart and ran rings round them. I put in a Webasto sunroof and fitted a sump guard that I painted yellow.’ Then Anthony got his break. ‘I joined Smith’s Wheels as a salesman, supplying the trade with alloy wheels, car accessories and performance parts. I was no relation to the boss, Theo
92
Alfasud 1300 Ti handled ‘like a go-kart,’ Smith says
California Deep Dish wheels adorn Anthony’s Alfasud
From an Alfasud to a succession of Ferraris, Anthony Smith’s garage has always been interesting 93
t h e
l i s t
‘It looks just like a spaceship arriving – otherworldly’
Martin Houston’s history of hardcore German cars made the Citroën SM seem an odd choice for his wishlist. Let’s see if it lives up to the dream
Words Ross Alkureishi Photography George F Williams
6
car name the list
7
7
STEPS TO BUYING THE BEST
Gilbern Invader
What to look for with this sporting, hand-built, glassfibre-bodied Estate or Saloon Words: MIKE RENAUT Photography: Tom Wood
o u r
e x p e r t s
Philip Ivimey Has been involved with Gilberns since 1989. After setting up a North London owners’ gettogether he became the archivist for the Gilbern Owners’ Club and runs a business in Herefordshire that services and restores all the Gilbern models. Chris Smith After becoming spares secretary for the club Chris found so many members were asking advice on fitting parts that in 1987 he founded the Gilbern Garage, servicing and restoring the cars. Chris recently retired to spend more time working on his own cars.
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Forty years after the last one left the Llantwitt Major factory, the Gilbern Invader remains one of the better-kept secrets of the classic car world. From £6000 you could be driving one of these sharp-suited Welsh grand tourers with urge from a torquey 3.0 V6 engine and simple upkeep. A muscular glassfibre body covering a lightweight tubular frame of tried and tested parts offered performance that still impresses. Too often incorrectly dismissed as a kit car, the Invader was a well-designed and extremely well engineered machine. Dropping Ford’s big and very tuneable V6 into a small car weighing just over a tonne meant performance was lively. Gilbern – the name is an amalgam of the first names of founders Giles Smith and Bernard Friese – put a lot of effort into its suspension, combining in-house-designed components and suitably altered MG parts in front with a Ford-sourced rear axle. The result feels like a combination of an MGC and a Capri;
good straight-line acceleration with predictable cornering and a rear end that gets entertainingly lively in the wet. Invaders were delivered painted, wired and trimmed, simply requiring the buyer to fit the engine, exhaust and running gear – all mechanical components were supplied new from Gilbern and under respective manufacturer warranties. This combination of off-the-shelf parts in a small, light body resulted in a high-quality machine with a particularly comfortable and luxurious interior. But in 1969 it was £600 dearer than a Reliant Scimitar; and with the advent of VAT in April 1973 any purchase tax savings from buying the car part-finished disappeared. Rapid expansion and a poor economic climate meant Gilbern ceased trading after building just over 1000 cars. The Gilbern Owners’ Club estimates that 70 per cent of cars still exist. That’s in spite of the extensive use of MG and Ford components, which has resulted in
GILBERN INVADER buying guide
‘Frankly, you’d be foolhardy to a buy any Gilbern without seeking advice from the helpful owners’ club’
restorable Invaders being stripped for parts. Today all the Invaders are comparatively rare but the MkIII is the most sought-after. Parts availability is generally excellent and the Gilbern presents a compelling, and cheaper, alternative to the far more obvious MG or Ford – and a rarer, imaginative rival to the Scimitar GTE, especially in the Invader’s practical Estate form. Frankly you’d be foolhardy to buy any Gilbern without seeking advice from the very helpful owners’ club, which even has history files on every example built and has made a terrific effort to ensure parts are still available, supplying only to club members.
1. Body
Windscreens are unique but the club owns the moulds, so more can be made. Flat side glass is easy to cut, but the Estate tailgate glass came from the rare Corsair estate. MkI and MkII cars have tail-lights that can’t be sourced new, although there are close
replicas on sale. MkIII models had Escort MkI tail-lights, which are still available. Some owners attempt to lift the body off during restoration – but there’s no need to for most chassis work. The best method is to cut through the floor in up to six sections, one at a time. The bodyshell was bonded to the internal floorpan and riveted to the chassis along the sills; some sections of MkIIIs were also bonded to the chassis. Check for shakes forward of the bulkhead, which would suggest a mounting is loose. Door and bonnet hinges are mounted straight to the chassis frame. Although adjustable, the doors are heavy so check they fit perfectly in their apertures. Panel gaps on Invaders were good when new, but MkIII doors are awkward to fit correctly. Gilbern’s glassfibre bodywork was among the best, and bodyshells were always painted from the factory. Do check for cracks and crazing – especially around the saloon’s left-hand boot hinge, which was
Lively Ford V6 offers reliability, and plenty of get-up-and-go in the lightweight Invader
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