Rickman Ranger: Spotted
Think cars that look like they can off road but most certainly can't is a new fad? Say hello to the Rickman...
What does the name Rickman mean to you? For many it'll be the late, great actor, whose performances in everything from Galaxy Quest, to Harry Potter, to Die Hard, endeared him to the nation. Perhaps you're a Hertfordshire resident or Metropolitan Line commuter, and it's Rickmansworth which springs to mind. You may even be a keen amateur footballer, and have found yourself playing for or against Rickman Rovers, a Sunday League team which, according to its now seemingly defunct Twitter account, once found itself between Honey Monsters FC and Tekkerslovakia in the Birmingham Festival Football League. Perhaps even less likely than that, though, is that it's today's Spotted you think of, the Rickman Ranger.
Between 1960 and 1975, brothers Derek and Don Rickman built custom-framed motorcycles, using engines sourced from mainstream manufacturers including Triumph, Royal Enfield and Honda. Their creations were highly regarded, with technical innovations including the first use of front and rear disc brakes, nickel-plated frames and exceptional fibreglass bodywork. When a Rickman Triumph finished second at the 1969 Isle of Man TT the world took note; by the mid-1970s Rickman employed 130 people and produced 4,000 bikes a year.
These were mainly intended for the US market, where the company found particular success. Its bikes were considered some of the most desirable of the era thanks to their race-bred handling, stunning looks and exclusive cachet. Hollywood icon Steve McQueen became so enamoured with them that he travelled to the factory in New Milton to see their production for himself. In 2016 the first ever Rickman road bike sold at auction for over £16,000.
By the mid-80s the increasing quality and quantity of Japanese imports was eating up the Rickman brothers' share of the market. The company transitioned first into parts and accessories before diversifying further still, into four-wheeled territory. They did this with a similar formula to the one which had proven so successful in the motorcycle industry: take a proven engine and running gear (in most cases a Mk2 Escort platform, with a 2.0-litre Pinto engine and the five-speed gearbox from a Sierra), create a new fibreglass body to put on top, and Bob's your uncle. Rather than going to the trouble of assembling it themselves, though, it was simply sold as a kit car.
The example we have here is a standard hard top Ranger - although it is apparently fitted with a 1.3-litre Ford motor rather than the more common Pinto unit. A convertible Ranger, campervan Rancher and extended-wheelbase Space Ranger were all also available, with total production estimated to be in the region of 1,000 cars, including those built by Russian company Avtokam following the Rickman Brothers' retirement. It looks to be in fantastic condition, as it should, given its recent total rebuild, and despite its lowly underpinnings and Jimny-based styling, is certainly recognisable as something out of the ordinary.
Alongside the Ranger, Rickman also produced a Sierra-based sports car, dubbed the Metisse in honour of its early bikes. Following the end of the brothers' tenure, a South Walian venture named Metisse Cars took up the mantle and continued production, creating about 20 examples between 1995 and 2007. You can find a frankly fantastic piece on the car and company by Men & Motors embedded below. What a time to be alive that must have been.
Despite Rickman's seemingly fascinating history, however, there isn't exactly a great deal of information available online regarding these curio off-roaders or their coupe counterparts. So we'd best hand things over to the wealth of obscure knowledge that is the PH forums. Have you driven a Ranger? Do you currently own a Metisse? What's your favourite Alan Rickman film? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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I built a Metisse from an unfinished project and it too was superbly engineered. That textured fibreglass shelf in the video review, along with similar interior trims panels were a cut above the kitcar market too, though a modern review would be horrified at the 'feel' of the interior materials.
True about the wheel offset. I fitted Peugout fitment wheels (15mm additional dish over the default Ford wheels) and they still didn't come close to doing the arches justice.
A nicely styled car, like a 2+2 Esprit, but kitcar buyers were already more interested in toys than daily-drivers at that stage.
A friend was very good friends with Derek and Don. I met them once and found them 2 genuine gentlemen.
Folk may scoff at a 2WD off-roader & I would never have taken it green-laneing, but for everyday driving muddy tracks, a foot of flood water or 14" deep snow the generous ride height & mud & snow tyres were more that good enough. A couple of them have been used for classic trialling, so they do have some off-road credentials.
With the Zetec it was "lively", managed 45mpg cruising on a motorway, had fantastic quality GRP bodywork, was only slightly more complex than a bicycle, had a soft top, had neutral (if not flat" handling & did everything I asked of it including pulling the caravan. I look it up every now & then & it has still never failed an MoT, not bad for an "L" reg (1993 I think) car.
I only sold it (for £1000) as Mrs Fury wanted a soft top so I had her four door & the "Flying Fridge" (it was white) went to a new home in Yorkshire.
Whoever built the kit wasn't much good at wiring. It let the smoke out on a couple of occasions and had a fun habit of keeping running after you'd taken the key out, only finally stopping when you turned the lights off. Did a lot of miles when it was working though. Ended up neglected and off to a scrapyard after 10 years. Fun in a robust, agricultural way. May have influenced my eventual Vitara purchase in an odd way.
Just to add, Dad's was a half soft top with a sort of exo cage roof rack arrangement that gave it a sort of safari/expedition look despite being hairdresser white.
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