Identity of field find

[waylison]

I have for some time (10yrs +) been passing this bodyshell and over this winter the tarp cover has blown off. I can't find the owner of the piece of land as yet but wish to identify the car if anyone can help me It's not a Gilbern GT, having 2 gilberns myself I've checked this.

Wayne.

[EDLT]

Well it isn't a TVR.

[waylison]

Nope, i have a TVR too and not one of those lol

[Strawman]

Don't know, can you take some photos from different angles? A shot from the front would be easier.

[waylison]

The front is pushed tight into those conifers and i just managed to squeeze through (without trespass over the fence), and the front of the car has no wings or bonnet, it's a fibre glass body. No rear boot lid, so no badges there either. No engine or axles, so no spinners to look at for badges. Quite a puzzle lol.
I will try to get more pics.

Edited by waylison on Tuesday 20th March 13:33

[Strawman]

A Fibre glass body could mean it's a one off design or 'special'. Maybe cross posting in the Classics forum would get more responses.

[waylison]

Have put it up on classic fibre glass forum too

[waylison]

If this helps ...... the front end ( bonnet and wings, grille etc ) seem to have been a separate body moulding. That seems unusual to me being a fibre glass car. Normally all one. So to access engine the front must have lifted open or the front end bolted on separately, again unusual.

[Wafflesmk2]

MX5?

[occrj]

It's an Ashley, probably a Sportiva. Early ones like the Ashley 1172 I had a few years ago (see http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/my_car_ashley.htm) didn't have an opening bootlid, but the later ones did. The front also differs slightly on the later versions.

It was originally designed to fit a Ford Pop chassis.

hth, RJ

[markCSC]

this?

[markCSC]

arse beaten to it!!!

more info here http://www.1950sspecials.com/ashley1.htm

[occrj]

PS the shell was later modified to become the Reliant Sabre 6

RJ

[waylison]

close. But one i've found has remains of rear view mirror mounted to dash top. Pic shows mirror attached to roof. I must go get better pics.

But thanks guys, keep thinking.

Wayne

[occrj]

Specials were home-built, sometimes using off-the-shelf bits, other times using stuff knocked together by an enterprising owner, so the mirror could have been attached to either location.

I'm still sure it's a special built around an Ashley grp bodyshell (I had a look at a roadster version of this coupe sat in someone's garage only a few weeks back).

R

[markCSC]

Found this. It is a Morgan +4 Ashley Sportiva Coupe. Could this be the car?

Edited by markCSC on Wednesday 21st March 09:35

[KrazyIvan]

Strawman said:

A shot from the front would be easier.

For who, Tarzan? The front looks pretty well embedded in the trees

[waylison]

markCSC said:

Found this. It is a Morgan +4 Ashley Sportiva Coupe. Could this be the car?

Edited by markCSC on Wednesday 21st March 09:35

Thank looks pretty much like it! Shame my pic doesn't show the rear wheel arches clear to see if they have that squared off look. Thanks guys, we're getting there I'm sure

[occrj]

waylison said:

Thank looks pretty much like it! Shame my pic doesn't show the rear wheel arches clear to see if they have that squared off look. Thanks guys, we're getting there I'm sure

We're already there, it's an Ashley Sportiva, all that remains to be seen is what running gear the body was united with. If you can get a photo of the chassis front end it might confirm whether it was put onto Ford sidevalve running gear (the most common option) or not.

R

[ashlam]

Hi Wayne,

I have recently seen this post of yours "Identity of field find" from March 2012, I was wondering if you had taken your investigations any further and found the owner and gathered any more information about the Ashley.

My interest is from being an Ashley nut, I run the Ashley websites you may have seen on the internet http://ashleysportiva.weebly.com and all the others linked to it.

Hope you can get back to me.

Cheers,

Ivor