Tuesday 27th September 2011

YKYWT... Northern Kit Cars Hornet

Bespoke GT motoring, Northern style...

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The North of England of course has a proud history of building lightweight glass-fibre cars. The likes of TVR, Ginetta and Chevron have each produced some appealing high performance motors, all hand-finished and often featuring appealing styling, ample power to weight ratio, and racing heritage.

Of course, there's one name missing from that list. Yes, you've guessed it; how on earth could we forget the Northern Kit Cars' Hornet?

Following the fine tradition of other such manufacturers, the Hornet adheres to the principle of a popular donor car (judging by the steering wheel and switchgear, in this case a MkIV Ford Cortina) whose mechanicals are expertly fitted to a steel chassis. Atop of said chassis sits an attractive two-seater Targa body featuring hand-finished paintwork. Okay, the hand in question was holding a paint brush... but that still counts as hand-finished, right?

The interior has been lovingly trimmed in genuine imitation Leopard print fabric which has thoughtfully been extended to also cover the headlining, and the rev counter has been carefully selected to aesthetically compliment the instrument cluster.

So what's not to like? If you screw your eyes up (really screw your eyes up...) and look at the rear three-quarter view this bespoke GT even resembles a Lamborghini Espada! Umm... kind of.

[300bhp/ton]

Bound to be loads of haters.... but I see potential. And at least it's different, hell it's a heck of a lot more interesting than some 2.0 Focus.

[chunkymonkey71]

Its the Lidl version of Knight Rider!!!

[GrahamG]

Aaaarrggh - My Eyes!!

Truly, utterly horrendous

[V88Dicky]

Where's the engine?

[neil_bmw]

Best interior....EVER!

[George H]

That interior!

[Fetchez la vache]

but it still won't get as many admiring glances as a Renault Clio...

[Oddball RS]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........

[SambaS]

Yes yes yes to the car, but definite NO to the interior

[SWoll]

300bhp/ton said:

Bound to be loads of haters.... but I see potential. And at least it's different, hell it's a heck of a lot more interesting than some 2.0 Focus.

Breaking News!

300bhp/ton in "I quite like that" horrendous kit car shocker!

[Biker's Nemesis]

You have to be kidding!

Yeah?

[anonymous-user]

This car should fail the MOT based on looks alone

[SWoll]

Fetchez la vache said:

but it still won't get as many admiring glances as a Renault Clio...

I'm sure it would turn more heads though. Right before they in the gutter...

[J4CKO]

That is the car that your mad uncle had when you were a kid, you cant remember the name but it was achingly cool and sporty back in 1977 when you were six years old, you had a ride in it and you felt like you were in a racing car and it was the most exciting thing ever to happen to you, fond memories and then your mum drags out the photos in 2011 and it comes flooding back and you realise that exotic sports car was a hideous kit car with an interior fashioned from a Transvestites coat and powered by a Transit engine.

Childhood memories are a bit like waking up after being drunk for eight or ten years, best not relied on.

Makes you wonder hwo buys stuff like that, also the Dutton things and that Metro based Audi TT knock off from ten years ago, uauslly half finished and covered in moss, they turn up on Ebay looking spectacularly tragic, can only ever be a sympathy purchase.

[leghorn]

Wow! Are those Wolfrace Slot Mags? Drool...
Takes me back to my youth when this would have been a great idea

[suffolk009]

It looks like somebody skinned a 1970s Rod Stewart to get that interior.

Love it.

[Biker's Nemesis]

leghorn said:

Wow! Are those Wolfrace Slot Mags? Drool...
Takes me back to my youth when this would have been a great idea

Starsky and Hutch type wheels.

Come on PH get hold of a Ford Gran Torino.

[300bhp/ton]

SWoll said:

Breaking News!

300bhp/ton in "I quite like that" horrendous kit car shocker!

Well we can't all like boring white goods cars....

[V88Dicky]

[Biker's Nemesis]

V88Dicky said:

Now, that's the car I wanted as a kid.