Unipower GT celebrates at Beaulieu

• 
• 
• 
• 

Later this week, we will be travelling to Beaulieu and we won’t be on our own. Thousands from far and wide will make it to the autojumble of autojumbles – the fiftieth since its formation. But we were at Beaulieu for another 50th anniversary last week, too. One not so well known, and not so well marketed. It was the Unipower GT, launched in 1966, which was the subject to the celebrations. And a lovely display during the Supercar Weekend formed the centre of the attraction. Four of the miniature GTs were on display – the very first production car; the works racer that made it to Le Mans; a LHD car sold new to the US and a daring restoration project, which is in the hands of the same owner since 1971. He crashed the rare GT in 1975, when “It bump steered and caught me out one day. But at the time I also had a 3-Litre Volvo, which was quite a bit more convenient for the girlfriends, if you see what I mean."

Surprisingly, two of the other three cars had been in the same ownership for decades either. The ex-works racer hasn’t changed hands since 1976, while the first production car did so for the last time in 1982. That car was fully restored in 1983, but hardly driven afterwards. Owner Tim Carpenter: “I remember the last time I drove it my wife had serious troubles getting in, as this was two weeks before our son was born. He is 23 now.” Tim got it MOT’d only two weeks prior to the event and bravely drove it over from London to Beaulieu. Other Unipower-owners from the UK and Switzerland had made it without their cars, but best surprise was the attendance of the car’s instigator Ernie Unger as well as its designer Vale Dare-Bryan (above), who hadn’t teamed up for decades. Apart from some amusing tales, Dare-Bryan had also brought over some unseen photographs and his sketchbook of the mid-1960s, giving a fascinating sight to the GT’s origins. A true step back in time.

(Words and pictures Jeroen Booij)    

Kommentar abgeben...