Another mystery car

[lowdrag]

I was researching in my archives and came across this strange car. To make it easier I've left in the date of the magazine. I can't remember it, but can you?

[piper]

The car is a Gitane built by G F plant Ltd in Wolverhampton in 1962, BMC mini powered with the engine mid mounted like the GTM, I believe only one was ever built, very pretty for 1962.

[viscountdallara]

Good call piper !!





The magazine can be found on the link below

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autocar-magazine-25-5-19...

[galro]

I don't know how accurate this info is, but here is at least an image I had saved on my computer of it:

[lowdrag]

Piper, my hat is doffed, but how did you know - or did you have the magazine?

Here's the full description and it seems it raced at the Nurburgring.

[uk66fastback]

Nice looking car. £2000 though in 1962? Wasn't an E-type £2500 or something? The average house was only £2650 approx back then. No wonder it failed to sell ... !

[nicanary]

lowdrag said:

Piper, my hat is doffed, but how did you know - or did you have the magazine?

Here's the full description and it seems it raced at the Nurburgring.

It didn't race. It was entered but didn't turn up.

[Qcarchoo]

The car was designed by Gordon Fowell who went on to design chassis for the Tecno and Amon Racing teams in the seventies, ultimately making his fortune by inventing the jogging machine.
He was fairly successful in the late fifties racing Lotus Elevens but had great ambitions for the Gitane GT, having entered the Nurburgring 1000km and the Trophee D'Auvergne in 1962. Unfortunately the car failed to arrive at both events.
In 1967 Gordon entered a Ford GT40 in three races but failed to start any of them.

It's possible that there was more than one Gitane built as there are photos of a notchback version. After being sold on to Tony 'Podge' Dealey who's brother had a hand in the original design, the prototype, now modified, was sold engineless to somebody in Devon in 1968, never to be seen again.

[uk66fastback]

Was it ever road registered?

[Qcarchoo]

The original prototype was driven to France by Gordon Fowell to compete in the Trophee D'Auvergne but was damaged en route. It was registered 947 CEA.
It was later re-registered in the hands of Tony Dealey to 232 HWD.
By this time it had been modified for hillclimbing and it lost it's sleek lines

[beach bum]

Some more info on the Gitane, from the guru of Mini derived cars.

http://maximummini.blogspot.se/search/label/Gitane...