 | |
| Industry | Automobiles |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founders |
|
| Defunct | April 1973 |
| Fate | Bankrupt |
| Headquarters | Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales |
Key people |
|
Gilbern, Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd , was a Welsh car manufacturer from 1959 to 1973, based in Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales.
Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd was founded by Giles Smith (previously a butcher, who died in 2003) and Bernard Friese, a German engineer with experience in glass fibre mouldings, [1] and was one of the few cars to be made in Wales. Friese had made a one-off car for himself and the two partners used this as the basis for the first Gilbern car. The premises were a tiny workshop in Church Village, Pontypridd but when production started the business moved to a new location at the old Red Ash Colliery at nearby Llantwit Fardre. The cars were available at first only as kits but later complete cars were also available.
The name, Gilbern, was a combination of the first three letters of the name of founder Giles Smith and the first four letters of the name of his co-founder Bernard Friese. [2] [3]
Gilberns have often been entered in competition at the Wiscombe Park Hillclimb, first appearing there in 1962 in the hands of an Aston Martin Owners Club member. [4]
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders accepted Gilbern as a member in 1965, and the company was permitted to operate a stand at the British International Motor Show at Earls Court thereafter. [4]
In 1968, following a search for a cash injection, Gilbern was taken over by Ace Capital Holdings Ltd, whose main business was the manufacture of slot machines. [1] Following the takeover Giles Smith left the company to be replaced by Mike Leather and Maurice Collins as joint managing directors. In 1970 Ace was bought by entertainment group Mecca Ltd, who sold the company to Maurice Collins; in 1972 he in turn sold it to Mike Leather.
The cars were expensive for the time and became more so with taxation changes that added Value Added Tax to kit cars. [5] Production ceased in 1973.
A one-off concept car, the T11, was produced, just prior to the company's closure, and was restored in 2009–10, appearing in some classic car articles in early 2010.
| Gilbern GT | |
|---|---|
 Gilbern GT1800 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd |
| Production | 1959-1967 280 made [6] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | various |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 93 in (2,400 mm) [7] |
| Length | 152 in (3,900 mm) [7] |
| Width | 60 in (1,500 mm) [7] |
| Height | 52 in (1,300 mm) [8] |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Gilbern Genie |
The GT, a 2+2 two-door coupé was the company's first car and was made between 1959 and 1967. The GT Mk 1 was initially available with either 948 cc BMC A-Series engine with an optional Shorrock supercharger or Coventry Climax 1098 cc engines. The chassis was fabricated from square steel tubing and the front suspension was initially from the Austin A35. The body was a one-piece moulding. Although usually supplied in kit form, the body was provided fully trimmed and painted leaving the purchaser to only complete the mechanical items.
Later versions came with a B-series 1500 or 1600 cc MGA or 1800 cc MGB engine and coil-sprung BMC rear axle. With the coming of the larger engine, the car was renamed the GT1800.
A car with 1600 cc (ex MGA) engine was tested by the British The Motor magazine in 1961 and was found to have a top speed of 94.3 mph (151.8 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 13.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 35 miles per imperial gallon (8.1 L/100 km; 29 mpg‑US) was recorded. The test car cost £978 including taxes of £251. [8]
| Gilbern Genie | |
|---|---|
 Gilbern Genie | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd |
| Production | 1966-1969 197 made [9] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Ford Essex V6 engine (2.5L or 3.0L) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 93 in (2,400 mm) [7] |
| Length | 159 in (4,000 mm) [7] |
| Width | 65 in (1,700 mm) [7] |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Gilbern Invader |
In 1966 a larger, more up-market model, the Genie, appeared at the London Motor Show. It could be had with either a 2.5- or 3-litre Ford Essex V6 engine and gearbox with optional overdrive, but the steering and back axle were still BMC units from the MGB. The engine was fitted with a twin-choke Weber carburetor on most cars, although a small number were built with Tecalemit Jackson fuel injection. The rear suspension differed from the MG in having coil-spring/damper units and trailing arms. On early Genies, the rear axle was located with a Panhard rod, which was then changed to a Watts linkage on later examples.
The 2.5-litre version was dropped in 1968. In 1969, a complete car cost around £2000.
| Gilbern Invader | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd |
| Production | 1969-1973 603 made [9] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupé, 3-door estate |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2,994 cc Ford Essex V6 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual all-synchromesh [10] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 93 in (2,400 mm) [7] |
| Length | 159 in (4,000 mm) [7] |
| Width | 65 in (1,700 mm) [7] |
| Height | 51 in (1,300 mm) [10] |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Gilbern Genie |
The final car was the Invader, introduced in July 1969 [10] and based on the Genie but with improved chassis and larger brakes. The front suspension now came from the MGC and the chassis was strengthened. It took the brand further upmarket with fittings such as electric windows and walnut-veneered dashboard. The Invader was available as a complete car and from 1970 an estate version was also produced. Automatic or manual gearbox with overdrive were available. It was updated to the Mk II version in 1971.
Launched in September 1972, [11] the Mk III version had Ford Cortina front suspension and was restyled front and rear. The engine was the higher tune unit from the Ford Capri 3000GT. The body was produced using new moulds and was both wider and lower than that of the earlier Invader. [11] Track was extended by four inches (10 cm). [11] The wider axle led to wheel spats being added to the sides of the car. At the back the live rear axle was located by trailing links and a Panhard rod: adjustable shock absorbers were fitted all round. [11]
It was only available as a factory-built car and cost £2,693 in 1972.
| Gilbern T11 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd |
| Production | One example originally produced-2 cars later restored |
| Designer | Trevor Fiore |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1485 cc E-Series I4 (Austin Maxi) |
| Transmission | Maxi 5-speed manual all-synchromesh |
Designed by British designer Trevor Fiore, the T11 was built in 1970, and was due to show at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. It was equipped with a lightly tuned 1.5-litre Austin Maxi drivetrain turned by 180 degrees. The company recalled the project, however. Three chassis were built but only one example was finished. [12] These were restored and completed in 2009–2010.
The Ford Cortina is a medium-sized family car that was built initially by Ford of Britain, and then Ford of Europe in various guises from 1962 to 1982, and was the United Kingdom's best-selling car of the 1970s.
The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 until 1971. The Sprite was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, two days after that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war Austin Seven. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production being undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon. It first went on sale at a price of £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down.
Marcos Engineering was a British sports car manufacturer. The name derives from the surnames of founders Jem Marsh and Frank Costin.
The Toyota Corona is an automobile manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota across eleven generations between 1957 and 2001. On launch, the Corona was Toyota's next to highest product in their range, just below the Crown. The Corona was marketed in the JDM at Toyota's Toyopet Store dealership channels, and the Corona was one of Toyota's first models exported to other global markets, followed by the smaller Toyota Corolla.
The Triumph Spitfire is a British front-engined, rear-wheel drive, two-passenger convertible sports car introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962 and manufactured between 1962-1980. Styled for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, the Spitfire was manufactured for the duration of its production at the Standard-Triumph Canley works — and evolved over a series of five production iterations, with approximately 315,000 manufactured over 18 years.
The Triumph GT6 is a 6-cylinder sports coupé built by Standard-Triumph, based on their popular Triumph Spitfire convertible. Production ran from 1966 to 1973.
The Triumph Vitesse is a compact six-cylinder car built by Standard-Triumph from May 1962 - July 1971. The car was styled by Giovanni Michelotti, and was available in saloon and convertible variants.
The MGB is a two-door sports car manufactured and marketed from 1962 until 1980 by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), later the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland, as a four-cylinder, soft-top sports car. It was announced and its details first published on 19 September 1962. Variants include the MGB GT three-door 2+2 coupé (1965–1980), the six-cylinder sports car and coupé MGC (1967–69), and the eight-cylinder 2+2 coupé, the MGB GT V8 (1973–76).
The Austin Cambridge is a motor car range produced by the Austin Motor Company, in several generations, from September 1954 through to 1971 as cars and to 1973 as light commercials. It replaced the A40 Somerset and was entirely new, with modern unibody construction. The range had two basic body styles with the A40, A50, and early A55 using a traditional rounded shape and later A55 Mark IIs and A60s using Pininfarina styling.
The Humber Super Snipe is a car which was produced from 1938 to 1967 by British-based Humber Limited.
Elva was a sports and racing car manufacturing company based in Bexhill, then Hastings and Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1955 by Frank G. Nichols. The name comes from the French phrase elle va.
Albion Motors was a Scottish automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer.
Fairthorpe cars were made in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, England between 1954 and 1961, from 1961 to 1973 in Denham, Buckinghamshire.
Ginetta Cars Limited is a British specialist builder of racing and sports cars based in Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Rochdale cars were a series of mainly glass fibre bodied British sports car made by Rochdale Motor Panels and Engineering in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England between 1948 and 1973. The company is best remembered for the Olympic coupé made between 1959 and 1973.
The Unipower GT is a British specialist sports car that debuted at the January 1966 Racing Car Show. It uses the powertrain from the BMC Mini mounted amidships. Production lasted until the end of 1969.
The TVR Grantura is the first production model in a long line of TVR cars. It debuted in 1958 and went through a series of developments leading to the Mark I to Mark IV and 1800S models. The last ones were made in September 1967.
Sylva Autokits is a kit car manufacturer based in Lincolnshire, England. Sylva was founded in 1981 by Jeremy Phillips and has developed and produced a number of small and lightweight sports cars. Sylva cars have won a number of 750 Motor Club Kit Car championships.
The Bond Equipe is an English 2+2 sports car, manufactured by Bond Cars Ltd from 1963 to 1970. It was the first 4-wheeled vehicle from Bond Cars.
The Marcos GT is the name used by the British firm of Marcos Engineering Ltd for all of their cars until the introduction of the Mantis in 1970. Most commonly, the name is used to describe the very low coupé designed by brothers Dennis and Peter Adams.
