Tag Archives: Bristol Classic Motor Show

Welsh Shooting Brake – Gilbern Invader Estate Mk II

In 1969 Gilbern launched the first of series of Invaders which were improved versions of the Gilbern Genie larger brakes and only powered by the larger 140 hp 3 liter / 183 cui of the Ford Essex V6 motor.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

In 1970 the first Estate / Station Wagon or more correctly shooting brake versions of the Invader began to appear and in 1971 a Mk II version of Invader was built of the type featured today which was built in 1972 with a with stiffer chassis and MG C front axle.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

During the period of Invader production owners Ace Capital Holdings Ltd, whose primary business was in slot machines, were sold to Mecca whose portfolio included a large stake in the Bingo Hall and related gambling operations and the Miss World Franchise.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

Car manufacture did not fit in with Mecca’s business plan and so Gilbern was sold in a management buyout to first Maurice Collins 1970 and then to his former co director Mike Leather in 1972. For a very short period in 1972 production reached a break even point of 4 cars a week. In all 212 GT and 104 Estate Invader Mk II’s were built up until September 1972 making the MkII the most successful of all Gilbern models.

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Butcher & POW – Gilbern GT

While Great Britain has contributed a fair share to motor manufacturing history apart from Argylle, Hillman / Singer and Scamp in Scotland, Shamrock and DeLorean in Ireland and one manufacturer in Wales all of the remaining manufacturers have been based in England.

The manufacturer in Wales came about after founder and Pontypridd family butcher Giles Smith, who dreamt of building his own GT Coupé met former German prisoner of war (POW) and engineer Bernard Friese who was experienced in working with fiberglass.

Gilbern GT, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

Together they built a one off vehicle based on Austin A35 running gear in the back of Giles butchers shop and invented the name Gilbern from the opening letters of their respective christian names.

After cutting down a tree at the back of the butchers shop to get it on the road the new Gilbern drew favourable comments including that it “looked like a bought one”.

Gilbern GT, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

Smith and Friese needed no further encouragement to go into business and found Wales’s first and so far only car manufacturing operation in Pontypridd where half a dozen staff began manufacturing Gilbern GT kits at the rate of one a month.

The Gilbern GT suitable for a variety of engines mainly from MG and Coventry Climax recieved good reviews but costing £1,000 pounds the Gilbern GT was considered expensive at around twice the price of a family 4 door saloon.

Gilbern GT, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

This particular car, seen at the Bristol Classic Motor Show a couple of years ago was first registered in August 1961.

So far as I can tell from the 1275 cc / 77.8 cui engine size it is fitted with an British Motor Corporation (BMC) A series motor, first seen in the 1964 Mini Cooper S, suggesting another motor was fitted when the car was first built.

Gilbern GT, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

Powered by an MGA 1600 motor a Gilbern GT was independently tested as capable of reaching 60 mph from rest in 13.8 seconds and a top speed of 94 mph with an average fuel consumption of 35 mpg imp / 29 mpg US.

Between 1959 and 1967 280 Gilbern 2+2 GT Coupe’s were built before the all new Gilbert Genie model was introduced.

Thanks for joining me on this “Butcher & POW” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Maserati Monday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Breaking Into The Top Ten – Plymouth Model U

When Chrysler were looking to break into the lower price end of the automobile market Joseph W. Frazer suggested to Walter P. Chrysler that he name the car after Plymouth Binder Twine well known to the farming community and Walter agreed to “give them a name they’re familiar with.”

Plymouth Model U, Chaterhouse Auctions, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

On launching the new brand in 1928 Chrylser announced “We have named it the Plymouth because this new product of Chrysler engineering and craftsmanship so accurately typifies the endurance and strength, the rugged honesty, the enterprise, the determination of achievement and the freedom from old limitations of that Pilgrim band who were the first American colonists.”

Plymouth Model U, Chaterhouse Auctions, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

The first Plymouth was the model Q launched in 1928 and it’s appeal led it to rank 15th in the US Automobile sales charts for 1929 Plymouth evolved the Model Q into the Model U featured today.

Plymouth Model U, Chaterhouse Auctions, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

The Model U was powered by a 2.2 litre / 134 cui Silver Dome motor produced around 45 hp which could propel a Model U up to 60 mph, unlike it’s cheaper rivals from Willy’s and Ford the Model U was equipped with hydraulic brakes.

Plymouth Model U, Chaterhouse Auctions, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

At $725 with standard 19 inch wooden wheels the Model U came in tenth in the US automotive sales ratings and the models success saw Plymouth production move to the, at the time, worlds largest car manufacturing plant which covered some 23 acres of floor space on at Lynch Road in Detroit.

Thanks for joining me on this “Breaking Into The Top Ten” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Turbo Mopar Under The Hood – Bristol Brigand

By the early 1980’s the temporary austerity enforced on the global economy by the oil crisis ten years earlier was giving way to a new era of prosperity that would be characterised in the immortalisation of Gordon Gecko in “Wall Street“.

Bristol Brigand, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet

Likewise in the motor trade cars were becoming seemingly exponentially faster thanks to widespread use of turbochargers which had the benefit of boosting horsepower of small motors without the cost of having to develop new large motors, additionally turbochargers could give executives a powerful model with a small motor typically 2 litres / 122 cui without the tax liabilities and inefficiencies of a 3 litre model.

Bristol Brigand, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet

Many manufacturers like Lotus naturally made sure everybody new your car was fitted with a turbocharger, though later a more discrete approach was introduced by some like Volvo. Amongst the Créme de la Créme unsurprisingly Bristol chose to take the more discreet approach with the turbocharged variant of it’s 603 model which was differentiated from it’s less powerful brethren by; standard alloy wheels, a visually inconsequential power bulge in the bonnet / hood and the “Brigand” name on the boot / trunk lid.

Bristol Brigand, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet

The series 3 603’s introduced in 1982 were among the first to be given names used by Bristol’s early owners the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the normally aspirated 603 Series 3 is known as the Britannia after a turbo prop airliner with the Brigand named after a ground attack bomber. The Brigand equipped with a 5.9 litre / 360 cui Chrysler V8 and a Rotormaster Turbocharger was said to be capable of reaching 60 mph from rest in 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 150 mph.

Bristol Brigand, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet

Brigands like today’s 1985 example, seen at the Bristol Classic Motor Show at Shepton Mallet a couple of years ago, were manufactured from 1982 to 1994 with minor exterior revisions, no production numbers for these cars was ever released some believe there may be 16 left while How Many Left.com shows only an extremely conservative 2 as taxed for use in the UK !

If you think the tail lights look familiar that probably show’s that at some point in your life you have sat behind a Bedford Commercial CF2 van.

Thanks for joining me on this “Turbo Mopar Under The Hood” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an agricultural BMW powered Mopar. Don’t forget to come back now !

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