Solved - NEH 2676: KNW Imposter - 1976

[Carnut]

What's this, by whom, from when and based on what - for 1 point?:

ANYONE FOUND GIVING ANSWERS OBTAINED BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH BY IMAGE MAY BE BANNED FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[shamrock]

IIRC it appeared in Hot Car , I think it was a rebodied Reliant ROBIN

[shamrock]

FOR ROBIN READ KITTEN

[Carnut]

FOR ROBIN READ KITTEN

No, sorry - it's not Reliant-based at all..

[gilescooperuk]

Well it has what looks like Cortina Mk2 rear lights.

Wild guess - Triumph base

[Carnut]

Well it has what looks like Cortina Mk2 rear lights.

Wild guess - Triumph base

They are indeed Mk 2 Cortina rear lights, but it's not Triumph-based.

[Carnut]

OK, up to the Pro's then...

[Djetset]

This is the KNW (also known as the Imperator), built in 1976 using a Hillman Imp as its mechanical base.  The TR7 has a lot to answer for!!

[Paul Jaray]

Too late!

[Carnut]

This is the KNW (also known as the Imperator), built in 1976 using a Hillman Imp as its mechanical base.  The TR7 has a lot to answer for!!

Close but not quite a cigar yet..

It is the KNW and it does have an Imp engine but have another look at that name, and don't forget that for the point I need to know the name of its builder plus what the car was actually based on, rather than what engine it used, which is not quite the same thing!
Incidentally the source insists that this car actually pre-dated the TR7, which didn't come out until 1977/8 I believe.

Locked for your reply.

[Djetset]

The chassis was taken from a Siva Llama kit car (which was also Imp-based) and it was built in 1976 by Keith Hawley (with KNW being his initials). 

The Triumph TR7 was launched in 1975 (initially for North America only) with UK and some EU market sales beginning in 1976, so around the same time as the KNW.

[Carnut]

The chassis was taken from a Siva Llama kit car (which was also Imp-based) and it was built in 1976 by Keith Hawley (with KNW being his initials). 

The Triumph TR7 was launched in 1975 (initially for North America only) with UK and some EU market sales beginning in 1976, so around the same time as the KNW.

All correct (though I'm not sure how KNW are Keith Hawley's initials!) but you still haven't given me the correct name of the car!

It was a KNW ******; what do the stars stand for (and you're correct in that the name started with Imp, but it's not Imperator it's Imp********!)?

The cigar is still on hold for you!

[Djetset]

It was sometimes known as the Imperator, as I mentioned earlier, and also later the Imposter.

[Carnut]

It was sometimes known as the Imperator, as I mentioned earlier, and also later the Imposter.

Aha we got there!
Imposter is right, but I haven't seen the name Imperator in connection with it.
Time to light up that cigar!

In the meantime a few more pictures:

[Carnut]

And a couple more pictures I found:

[Carnut]

The text on the site this picture came from says the car was built in 1972; if that's correct then it pre-dates the Triumph TR7 by a number of years..: