User:Kumboloi/sandbox/Microplas
Microplas Limited was a British autobody supply company and builder of after market fibreglass automobile bodies for kit cars and custom built Specials.
History[edit]
The company was formed in 1954 in Uxbridge by group of 750 Motor Club members. They were Mike Eyre, Roger Everett, Bill Ashton, Sandy Wemyss, Tony Wemyss, and one other who was associated with the Hunting family. The Huntings were among the first to make reinforced plastics for the British military during World War Two. Microplas had access to this technology. The Microplas also traded as Microbond.
"Micron Plastics" - ref???
Early location. Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. ref???
In the mid 1950s Microplas relocated its factory to Mitcham, Surrey. The company diversified into boats and hardtops. The boats were built under Microplas and Microplus names.
Company split into two separate entities.
Microplas boats?
Products[edit]
Stilletto[edit]
The Stilletto was the first body Microplas developed. It was designed for the owners' Austin Sevens and was made from fibreglass, a new material at that time.
Ford 8 and 10s - ref???
Mistral[edit]
The Mistral was Microplas’s second body design announced in April 1955 and intended for the Ford Ten. It was designed by Bill Ashton. Ashton was a former RAF fighter pilot, Lotus Mark VI amateur racer, and MG car company worker. At various points in time Buckler (DD2 model and some other models), Fairthorpe (1956-1957 Electron models[1]), Frazer Nash, and TVR Jomar all used the Mistral body.
Archie Butterworth AJB flat-four engine. Distinctive vents. https://www.pressreader.com/australia/new-zealand-classic-car/20191014/284709093599000
Major Ronald Clare Clifford (RCC) Palmer, with the legendary engine builder Archie J. Butterworth’s four-cylinder, 1.5-liter AJB box heart with an XNK 900 license plate. https://silodrome.com/tojeiro-butterworth-ajb-racing-car/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24882/lot/375/?category=list&length=100&page=2
A Mistral body was fitted to the Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica. The car was raced in 1955 by Ken Wharton. Wharton crashed and the car was virtually destroyed. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26117/lot/249/?category=list https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/frazer-nash/le-mans-replica/1952/769919 https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/may-2012/92/peak-practice
Buckler? ref???
Side vents on front fenders to exhaust air needed to cool AJB engine. ref???
Revised Mistral II combined the two side vents into one vent of the same height. ref???
Scimitar[edit]
The Scimitar was a development of the Stilletto for a pre-Ruby Seven and based on a shorter 6' 3" wheelbase. The Stilletto was 6' 9".
Toledo[edit]
The Toledo was the final design from Microplas. It was announced in October 1955.
Triumph Surrey top[edit]
Licensees[edit]
Sports Car Engineering[edit]
In 1956, Californian sports car racer Warren "Bud" Goodwin licensed the body from Microplas and sold it in the United States through his Los Angeles company, Sports Car Engineering (SCE), as the Spyder.[2] One of the Sports Car Engineering's Mistral bodies was used by Frank Arciero on his Arciero Special, a car raced by Dan Gurney. Goodwin sold the Mistral for a couple of years before selling Sports Car Engineering to company Du Crest Fiberglass in 1958.[3] Goodwin went on to found Fiberfab.
http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/s/sports_car_engineering/sports_car_engineering.htm
Track Kraft[edit]
Another Los Angeles company, Track Kraft made the Mistral in late 1950s early 1960s and marketed it as the Track Kraft TK-102.[4]
Weltex[edit]
The Mistral was sold in Great Britain, United States and Germany. It was also brought to New Zealand by Christchurch boat builder and racing driver, Bob Blackburn. Blackburn, trading as Weltex Plastics Limited, intended to go into full production with a Graeme Dennison designed chassis, but couldn’t source enough Ford Prefect parts and so sold the body and chassis as a kit car. About 10 cars were completed by Weltex and 10 bodies sold between 1956 and 1961.[5]
https://www.pressreader.com/australia/new-zealand-classic-car/20191014/284709093599000
One of the Weltex Mistral bodies was fitted to the Stanton Special, which set the New Zealand land speed record at that time.[6]
Text below inserted from Cars of New Zealand article.
-- A British kitcar brought to New Zealand by Christchurch boat builder and racing driver, Bob Blackburn. Blackburn, and manufactured by Weltex Plastics Limited. The car used a Graeme Dennison designed chassis. Originally intended as a production car, a lack of parts meant it was sold only sold as a kit car. About 10 cars were completed by Weltex and 10 bodies sold between 1956 and 1961.[7] A Dunedin company, Emslie and Flockton Limited, also made and sold the Mistral under licence after Blackburn had moved to Australia, possibly with Weltex's mould.[8][9] A number of these cars are still in existence and Emslie and Flockton's mould is also believed to still exist.[10] One of the Weltex Mistral bodies was fitted to the Stanton Special, which set the New Zealand land speed record at that time.[11]
In 1989 a New Zealander, Roger Wilson, established Wilson Classics Sports Cars with the aim of building Mistral sports cars for use in classic car racing and for touring. A set of moulds were taken to modernise the original Mistral body. Several of the cars were built and successfully raced but demand was insufficient for a sustainable business and the venture ended.[8] --
Emslie & Flockton[edit]
A Dunedin company, Emslie and Flockton Limited, also made and sold the Mistral under licence after Blackburn had moved to Australia, possibly with Weltex's mould.[8][12] A number of these cars are still in existence and Emslie and Flockton's mould is also believed to still exist.[13]
Wilson Classics Sports Cars[edit]
In 1989 a New Zealander, Roger Wilson, established Wilson Classics Sports Cars with the aim of building Mistral sports cars for touring and vintage racing. A set of moulds were taken to modernize the original Mistral body. Several of the cars were built and successfully raced but demand was insufficient for a sustainable business and the venture ended.[8] One of his cars, race number 360 and registration PK4975, was still in existence in 2015.[14]
(Mentions Emslie & Flockton, but misspells the name)[8]
In popular culture[edit]
- An American built car with a Mistral body on an Austin-Healey chassis was used in a scene from the 1966 Elvis Presley movie Spinout.[15] https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2010/11/03/spinout-slipup-what-car-stood-in-for-the-wet-cobra
Rosamunde Pilcher — Ex & Liebe, Movie made for TV, 2016 https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_1301279-Microplas-Mistral-1967.html
References[edit]
- ^ The Light Car magazine, August 1956
- ^ Road and Track, Advertisement, September 1958, page 57
- ^ http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/variants/vt106c.htm
- ^ Motor Life, May 1960, page 68
- ^ Historic Racing Cars of New Zealand, Graham Vercoe, Reed Books, Auckland, 1991, ISBN 0-7900-0189-6
- ^ The Origin on the Sepecies, Classic Driver Magazine, New Zealand, Number 21 Page 120
- ^ Historic Racing Cars of New Zealand, Graham Vercoe, Reed Books, Auckland, 1991, ISBN 0-7900-0189-6
- ^ a b c d e "Roger's Exploits". Wilson Classic Sports Cars. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012.
- ^ New Zealand Classic Car magazine, April 2009, page 039
- ^ "Other | Vintage parts". Trade Me. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ The Origin on the Sepecies, Classic Driver Magazine, New Zealand, Number 21 Page 120
- ^ New Zealand Classic Car magazine, April 2009, page 039
- ^ http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/vintage-parts/other/auction-229642635.htm
- ^ Roger Wilson, retrieved 8 June 2016
- ^ "Other Mistrals". Archived from the original on 5 September 2017.
Category:Kit car manufacturers Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England Category:Vehicle manufacture in London Category:1954 establishments in England Category:Cars of New Zealand