What is this car, which firm built it and when?
Experts?
Any Gilbern connection?
Triiumph-based?
Nothing to do with Gilbern, but it is Triumph-based
Made by an established builder of glass-fibre cars based on Triumphs, like Bond?
no, not by an established manufacturer. I suspect this was the only car they built.
It has a 1963 Kent registration, so is that when and where it was built?
Is it possible to find the answer on-line or are 1963 car magazines needed?!
It is from Kent, from its earlier than 1961.
I don't think it's available online. It took a lot of effort to find the picture, after I heard a rumour of its existence. It is mentioned in other sources, but I believe this is the only picture that was published, in a contemporary magazine...
Ah - the registration number must be 8 MKE then; I read it as 8 WKE.
8 MKE is a September 1960 issue.
Was ait made by someone well-known in the specialist car world?
I have never heard of this company other than in relation to this car. Well known it aint...
Do you know if the company made the body themselves?
I believe so. It's certainly not an 'off the shelf' body and only ever featured on this particular car
Pros
Tornado Thunderbolt 1960, Triumph engined.
It's not a Tornado, or any other 'known' maker
What do you suggest? How should we approach this? Are there any clues online which will aid us finding this elusive company?
I don't think there is anything online, certainly not this image
Quote from: barrett on July 27, 2017, 10:01:02 AM
It took a lot of effort to find the picture, after I heard a rumour of its existence.
Quote from: barrett on July 27, 2017, 12:43:19 PM
I have never heard of this company other than in relation to this car. Well known it aint...
After hearing a rumor that a company you'd never heard of built a car 60 years ago, you put in a lot of effort to find an image of that car. Was there something particularly unique about the company or the car that captured your interest?
Quote from: gte4289 on July 09, 2023, 04:53:35 AM
Quote from: barrett on July 27, 2017, 10:01:02 AM
It took a lot of effort to find the picture, after I heard a rumour of its existence.
Quote from: barrett on July 27, 2017, 12:43:19 PM
I have never heard of this company other than in relation to this car. Well known it aint...
After hearing a rumor that a company you'd never heard of built a car 60 years ago, you put in a lot of effort to find an image of that car. Was there something particularly unique about the company or the car that captured your interest?
I think it's been three years since I was active on this site! Let's see if we can get some of these solved.
There is nothing remarkable about this car whatsoever. I was interested to find out more simply because I had never heard of it before, but it is listed as a proper make in the most famous automotive encyclopaedia.
As a clue, I'll say it appears near the start of the alphabet, if you want to go through make-by-make...
1961 Avia by Armat Ltd
That's it, well done!
Thanks!