Spadge Hopkins

[cjb44]

Hi
Does anyone know what happened to Spadge Hopkins. A few years ago I found him very helpful and a great bloke to talk to.

[cjb44]

g15wiz said:

I have some knowledge, but will leave it to others.....

OK, it seems "others" do not wish to inform us.
I do not have a hidden agenda or a gripe, far from it.
I first met Spadge in the early nineties when he had just set up his business in some dilapidated barns near Chelmsford, at that time he had the ex Motor Show G15 for sale which I wanted for my wife, the sale fell through only because by the time we had sold her XR2 he had sold the G15. I caught up with him again when he moved to Framlingham (which is about thirty miles from us), again he was very helpful over the years and was never too busy to stop and have a chat even if we turned up unannounced and his long suffering wife was always handy with the teapot.
I always speak as I find and Spadge always treated me right,after many years of TVR ownership and as I am possibly in the market for another Ginetta, I thought about looking him up again.

[cjb44]

g15wiz said:

ok....
AFAIK, Spadge 'joined forces' with Ginetta Cars [LJT] to form Ginetta Heritage.
After a couple of years things appear to have gone a bit sour [?] ending up with Ginetta Cars taking all old moulds, jigs etc. to Leeds.
Spadge left the motor trade behind and has apparently 'disappeared'..

others may know more?

Well that is a shame, I can only speculate but know from personal experience that when two factions join together each principal has his own ideas on how things should be run, and this can cause considerable friction.
When I first met him at his Chelmsford premises he also owned another business which I believe was something to do with the electronics industry, I think this was sold as things got going with the Ginetta side of things, perhaps he has gone back to that.
Anyway he is a sad loss to Ginetta enthusiasts and am sure is sorely missed, I certainly used to enjoy keeping up to date via his newsletter.

[cjb44]

h4887 said:

A few days ago I spoke to someone who lives near him. He's alive and well but has nothing to do with cars. Seems he is involved with several voluntary organisations.

Geoff

Well he is definately alive and well, just put his head above the parapet and living in Suffolk.