GILBERN INVADER
Handsome, well-finished and with Ford V6 power, these wonderful Welsh classics are capable grand tourers well worth a look. Here’s what to look out for when buying
‘Fast, stylish and practical, Gilberns are easy to maintain’
Next year will mark half a century since the launch of one of the more enigmatic classics – and one of the tiny number of cars built in Wales.
We’re talking of course about Gilbern and its final model, the Invader, which enjoyed a five-year production run.
With fewer than 1000 cars built in 16 years, Gilbern may be little more than a footnote in the annals of automotive history, but its cars make as much sense as they ever did. Fast, well-built, stylish and practical, Gilberns are easy to maintain, while parts supply is much better than you might think thanks to an enthusiastic owners’ club. Using the very British formula of a separate chassis with a well-made glassfibre bodyshell, the Invader was powered by a Ford 3.0-litre Essex V6. As a result there’s ample performance with decent economy thanks to tall gearing – something that makes these cars well suited to longdistance touring. The Invader story kicks off in 1967 with the arrival of the Genie, which was powered by 2.5- or 3.0-litre Ford V6s.
It was this car that would go on to provide the basis for the Invader, which went on sale in 1969 with a Zodiac MkIV engine, standard overdrive and alloy wheels, plus the option of a three-speed automatic transmission.
After 76 of the first series of Invader had been built, the MkII appeared in 1970. The front of the chassis was beefed up to prevent stress cracks, moving the engine back aided handling while revised bonnet vents helped to keep the V6 cool. Within a year there would be an Invader estate, created to take on the Scimitar GTE; just 112 would be made. In 1972 the Invader MkIII went on sale with flared wheelarches and Ford running gear throughout, integral front fog lamps plus a new bonnet and boot lid. But within a year the dream was over and Gilbern went bust in April 1973 after 394 Invader MkIs and MkIIs had been made, along with 212 Invader MkIIIs.