The Gordon GRP city car

After converting a motorcycle to run on electricity so he could get around the huge thermal power station he worked at, a very young Chris Gordon decided to make an electric car. Like most makers of one- off cars, he made the body out of fibreglass and used the running gear from a donor car — in this case a Triumph Herald. The GRP is up to 5mm thick, with a central layer of core mat and includes the metal front-window surround from a Hino Contessa. The windscreen is (of course) from the same car. The other windows are made from specially made Pilkingtons toughened glass. The car was designed from first principles and its shape reflects not only the trends of the late ’70s (think Austin Princess), but also the futuristic designs of other electric vehicles of the time. The interior finish is of a similar standard to a production vehicle of the time. The chassis is made from steel tube brazed together, and the wheels, hubs, brakes, steering, and differential are all from the small Triumph. The electric power option was killed off by the weight of the lead-acid batteries needed, so a motorcycle engine and gearbox were used instead. The unit chosen was a Honda CB360 — a 356cc two-valve single overhead camshaft (SOHC) twin that could provide enough power to attain a top speed of over 50kph. The drive from the engine to the short driveshaft is by chain. When the car was completed all Chris had to do to make it road legal was to take it along to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) testing station and obtain a warrant of fitness, which it still proudly wears. The maker’s name at the rear was made from brass strip. The letters were shaped using hacksaw and files. The logo combines Chris’s initials, C and G, with an arrow and was designed by him when he was at school.