Popular kits of the past
The kit car scene during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s was a time when rotten family cars could be turned into sports cars, replicas and practical SUVs. Manufacturers such as Dutton sold thousands of kits and even tried their hand at turn-key production, but are best remembered for the Sevenesque Melos and Phaeton that still appear in the classifieds as abandoned projects or roadworthy examples for a few thousand pounds. Maybe not on a par with a Westfield or Caterham, they are often much cheaper and just as nostalgic.
There were a lot of practical kit cars during this era, including the Rickman Ranger and Rancher (1992-1997) and the
Dutton Sierra, long before SUVs became popular. Jago had already set the scene with their Ford Escort-based Geep, along with Eagle’s RV, showing that practicality was possible from a kit car, which was later adopted by Quantum and their Ford-based sports cars. Others that sold in masses included the Triumph-based Spartan, which wasn’t the prettiest MG-styled roadster, but seemed to work well. Nick Green developed a range of MGB- and Ford-based roadsters that resembled MG T-types and which sold under the NG brand. Perhaps this type of car simply sells well because it looks old but uses modern donor components, as proven by Pilgrim in the 80s when it launched its Morris Marina-based Bulldog (Cortina donor components could also be fitted).
The cheap and cheerful approach has always been a firm favourite, so when JC Auto Patterns sold life-size paper plans with which to cut out your wooden and aluminium bodywork and make a Triumphbased kit car that resembled an MG T-type, they sold in huge numbers. This back-tobasics and make-it-yourself attitude was also successful for Burlington and their wooden-bodied roadsters, but also helped to prove that a Lotus Seven replica could be made in the same way. So look out for kit cars such as the JC Midge and Locust, the Burlington Arrow and the Husky. If the bodywork is rotten, you can make replacement panels yourself.