The converters

You’d be hard-pressed to tell that the stunning Rapport Forte was based on the Jaguar XJ… And now it’s been rediscovered, and is about to be restored to sit alongside […]

And here is the car that the Princess should always have been: Crayford produced its own hatchback versions of the 18-22 Series/Princess, but at a time when the five-door saloon […]

The Torcars Princess Estate was sold through the franchised BL dealer network, and was covered by the BL’s Supercover warranty. The text and pictures at the bottom have been taken […]

The origins of Panther date back to 1971, when Robert Jankel decided that he wanted leave the fashion industry and follow his dream of becoming a creator of exclusive cars. […]

The Owen Sedanca was an amazing coupe, based on the 1970s Jaguar XJ6 and built by Panther Westwinds. Only three were made, but they now have a cult following… […]

Crayford Engineering sought to produce an interesting variation on the TR7 theme, and ended up hatching out this little beauty. The Crayford TR7 Tracer looked awkward, and only one survives, […]

The handsome Lynx Eventer filled a gap in the market for a top-notch sporting estate, and examples could often be seen at the smarter sporting events. Step forward Lynx Engineering‘s […]

Frazer established itself as a new car company in 1981, offering this fabulous-looking Tickford Metro, which was first shown at that year’s London Motorfair. The Tickford name was owned by […]

Crayford Engineering was founded by David McMullan and Jeffrey Smith in the 1962, their first product being a £100 soft-top conversion for the car of the moment, the Mini. Operating […]

The BMC 1100/1300 was the only BMC/BL model to be offered as both an estate and convertible by Crayford Engineering (although these models were not marketed concurrently). You can also […]

Although it’s not based on an Austin Rover product, we love the Rapport Ritz, and think it makes a fascinating comparison with the equally desirable (and Honda-derived) Avon Triumph Acclaim. […]

When the Series III Jaguar XJ6 was launched in 1979, Mercedes-Benz had the the up-market estate scene pretty much to themselves, with Citroën and Volvo bringing up the rear. However, […]

William Towns is probably most closely associated with Aston Martin, having been responsible for the design of such cars as the svelte DBS and the futuristic Lagonda. However, as early […]

At the 1973 Earls Court Motor Show, BLMC expected the new Allegro to be the centre of attention on the Austin-Morris stand. Instead, it was another car which stole the limelight… […]

Wood & Pickett’s riposte to Radford’s upmarket de Ville… Having seen how Radford’s Mini de Ville conversions were catching on, Wood & Pickett decided that they too could take a […]

William Towns had high hopes for the Microdot, but they would eventually come to nothing… The Microdot made its debut at the London Motor Show in 1976, where it couldn’t […]

Dating from 1974, this archetypal Towns design was essentially a reclothed E-type… Story by Declan Berridge One stormy night in 1972, hill-climb champion Jim Thomson – who was also Managing […]

This William Towns-styled Metro-based, mid-engined roadster brought the concept behind the MGF to fruition some 10 years earlier… Looks pretty racy, too. Tracer fire… If you think the Tracer has a […]

Built around a pair of Mini subframes connected by a low-slung, monocoque steel floorpan, its lower body panels and clamshell bonnet were formed from fibreglass, while its upper-body styling mated a rakish front end to a boxy, hatchback-style rear framework filled with large panes of glass, and topped off with the a vinyl-covered roof fashioned from marine-grade plywood. […]

A chop-top Mini, or retro-style on a plate… To find out more, contact Kit Car magazine Banham Roadster IN 2003, having concentrated on the production of his own bodywork designs […]

It seems that few – if any – of these Crayford convertibles actually reached customers before the company decided to concentrate on its Fiesta conversions. And it had a Dr […]