The photos in this entry are from one of my favorite massive copyright lawsuits waiting to happen websites, Modern Mechanix, a huge and fascinating archive of scans from old Popular Mechanics and other classic tech culture magazines. There are many automotive entries, with a great number dedicated to homebuilt, kit, and other DIY cars… I thought I’d take a moment to show you some of these vehicles from the past, since most of what I post is current (or at least from the seventies).

Nicely streamlined, this vehicle built in the late 40s is incredibly sleek, standing only 39″ high (about the same as a Manta Mirage, and lower than a Lamborghini Countach) and built on a pre-war 20hp Jaguar chassis. The builder and designer, L. Leston, was a used aircraft parts dealer, and apparently the entire design of this car came from a moment of inspiration he had after finding the side/door windows on an old reconnaissance plane! I’d love to see this one in person — given how incredibly low it is, I’m sure the pictures don’t do it justice.

Read more »

Martin in Switzerland was kind enough to send us a huge gallery of beautiful photos of his stunning modified Manta Mirage. If you’re wondering about the tail — which looks to me like they’ve grafted on the rear of a Manta Montage — which gives the vehicle a much sleeker appearance than the usual snubbed-off Mirage, George Gennuso, the original builder, did all of the customization. Hopefully I’ll post more on this car, but after the break is a huge gallery of photos to wet your appetite.

The other good Manta news is that the Mirage is going back into production! I’m told it’s getting built here in Ontario, in nearby Peterborough, so I’m hoping to be able to go check out the facilities this summer. If I do, I’ll post a report here of course.

Read more »

Adriaan was wondering what this mystery car he spotted in South Africa was… I’m 99% sure that what he’s stumbled on is a rare version of the Amante GT, which was sometimes made with these lights and features. The Amante was first manufactured in 1969 under the name “Gazelle”, fit to a VW pan and front and rear glass from a Rambler Marlin.

A variety of styles of Amante GTs exist, with options including different headlight configurations, different three-quarter panel styles (windows, a small window and a scoop, or a large scoop), as well as different front and rear decks (smooth, twin depressed scoops, or a single raised scoop), as well as a rear spoiler. The car was made by a variety of companies (Hebina Plastics, Voegele Industries, Performance Designers, and Amante Cars), and went out of production in the mid/late seventeis. The variation that Adriaan found is one of the less common ones so it wasn’t quick to recognize.

Mark in West Midlands, UK is selling this McLaren M6 GTR replica by the British company Tornado who made them from 1984 through 1992. Mark’s is running a 3.5 Rover engine (bored out to 3.9) mated to a Renault 30 transaxle. The rear end bodywork has been reduced by 4″ to improve visibility, and the suspension has been redone with adjustable coil overs to improve its track performance. He’s asking £5,000 with proceeds going to finance a new auto project. Email him at mark.h****@***.com if you’re interested.

Sold!

I like M6 (some pictures of the original) clones in general, but I have to admit that I prefer the Montage and the Maurader interpretations because the square roof and general blockiness of the Tornado throws off the aesthetics a bit for me. Still, I sure would be happy behind the wheel of a Tornado!!!

Many times here I’ve mentioned how much I like the Invader GT kit car… It’s an “awkwardly exotic” but endearing design originally prototyped by plastics student Bruce Weeks (Autokit) that’s been through a number of iterations, with a production run lasting from the early 70s, both domestically and in Spain, until at least the late 90s (under Kaylor Kit) — there’s even talk of more being produced, using Roy Kaylor’s high performance 100+ mpg hybrid setup.

Anyway, I was happy to see this beautiful example, one of the cleanest examples out there, up for sale (#220244019018) here in Ontario, Canada. The car is built on a ‘71 VW Karman Ghia chassis as has about 200 miles on a rebuilt 1650cc engine (currently driven on weekends). The lockable gullwing doors were fabricated by the owner out of heavy lexan… If it doesn’t sell on eBay I’ll try and go see it in person next week and post some more pictures.

Autodynamics was a company that made race chassis in the sixties (including a dozen mid-engine platforms for FiberFab), and then took over making the successful Deserter dunebuggy. They were also making replacement body panels for the Lotus Elan, which they bridged into a business making full Elan-inspired bodies for a shortened VW chassis, a kit which sold for $1,300 at the time.

Viv (vivpena@msn.com) has the 1972 one below for sale for $3,000 or best offer, writing that only about forty were ever made and that the fit and finish makes it seem more like a production vehicle than a kit car, although there are a few stress cracks that show through the recent paint job (and new windshield, gas tank, and floors). A little work is still needed, the rear brakes have to be hooked up and the wiring needs attention — don’t worry, it comes with a manual — but it seems like a good deal for someone willing to do these last little touches. The car is located in Del Rio, Texas.

Bob is selling (#270244501530) this very strange even more wedge-like interpretation of the already wedge shaped Lamborghini Countach for his dad — it’s located in Letchworth Herts, UK (near Stansted Airport in Essex), and is currently sitting at £300 with no bids. His father bought it years ago in its current state, and they don’t know anything about it’s history or designer — my assumption is that it’s a one-off project. Apparently it’s sized to fit a VW chassis, but it’s never been mounted to anything.

Edit: This car has since been identified as a “Panache” kit car.