AutoPuzzles - The Internet's Museum of Rare Cars!

Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2016 => Topic started by: Djetset on December 21, 2015, 09:51:42 AM

Title: SOLVED: Djetset 757 - Conran Gibb Heron MJ1
Post by: Djetset on December 21, 2015, 09:51:42 AM
If you can see through the small, poor-quality photo, who made this, in which country, and what was it called please for a point?
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: richard cuyler on February 24, 2016, 02:17:52 PM
Is it a BERTONE design?
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Djetset on February 24, 2016, 04:18:15 PM
Quote from: richard cuyler on February 24, 2016, 02:17:52 PM
Is it a BERTONE design?
No.
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Ecnelis on March 13, 2016, 03:39:37 PM
Has it anything to do with Lotus Esprit?
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Djetset on March 17, 2016, 06:36:12 AM
Quote from: Ecnelis on March 13, 2016, 03:39:37 PM
Has it anything to do with Lotus Esprit?
Not that I know of.
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: studhamsmudger on May 06, 2016, 12:07:54 PM
Brazilian?
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Djetset on May 06, 2016, 12:14:11 PM
Quote from: studhamsmudger on May 06, 2016, 12:07:54 PM
Brazilian?
No.
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Carnut on May 06, 2016, 01:28:51 PM
It's a Heron MJ1 from New Zealand!
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: kwgibbs on May 07, 2016, 08:01:46 PM
Dogo,argentina?
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Djetset on May 10, 2016, 08:09:00 AM
Quote from: Carnut on May 06, 2016, 01:28:51 PM
It's a Heron MJ1 from New Zealand!
That's almost the car (Heron MJ1 was the model), but do you know the name of the make?  Now locked to you
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Carnut on May 10, 2016, 08:29:16 AM
OK, but I'm not entirely sure you're right.
Heron was the name of the car and MJ1 was the model (Heron also made other models).
The Heron (Lotus-Esprit sort-of copy) was designed and built by Ross Baker of Rotorua.  22 or 24 cars were made, depending on where you read about it, and Baker needed help financing the project so Summit Engineering became involved.  They eventually folded I believe, which is when Baker bought back the two-thirds ownership of his company that he had sold them then continued to make his other models (MJ-1 2+2 and various others).
There is actually still a Heron Cars Ltd. website.
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Carnut on May 19, 2016, 09:17:42 AM
Bump...
Title: Re: Djetset 757
Post by: Djetset on June 01, 2016, 07:03:06 AM
Quote from: Carnut on May 10, 2016, 08:29:16 AM
OK, but I'm not entirely sure you're right.
Heron was the name of the car and MJ1 was the model (Heron also made other models).

Sorry, but it just goes to show that you can not always trust the internet for accuracy, as although this is indeed a Heron MJ1, it is a special luxury version, proposed by Conran Gibbs, as an upgrade to the car, in the same way that OB&D offered a plusher turn-key edition of the GP Madison kit car in the 1980s.  There was a small mention of the Gibb car recently in a UK classic car magazine, which I will scan in when I get chance (realistically not for a while).

Despite not being 100% accurate, I will award you a point anyway and move this to Solved.
Title: Re: SOLVED: Djetset 757 - Conran Gibb Heron MJ1
Post by: Carnut on June 01, 2016, 07:47:05 AM
Thanks Djetset; very gentlemanly!

I got my information from the Heron Cars website, which lists all cars made by them together with their original and current owners.
Your puzzle picture is there and illustrates fully-built production car no. 7, which was originally owned by Maurice O'Reilly but it doesn't say who the current owner is (maybe it's still Mr O'Reilly's).
Despite there being full information on the site together with links to other sites and articles, there is no mention whatsoever of Conran or Gibb!

I appreciate the point and thanks again.