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Clan (car)
Encyclopedia
The Clan Crusader was a fibreglass monocoque
British
sports car
based on running gear
from the Hillman Imp
Sport, including its Coventry Climax
derived, rear-mounted 875 cc engine. It was first made in Washington, Co Durham, England
, between 1971 and 1974, but since then several efforts have been made to bring the car back to production. Plans were made by Martin Phaff (of previous Ginetta fame) to re-resurrect the Clan in 2009, but nothing seems to have come of the project so far.
engineers led by Paul Haussauer with styling by John Frayling. The company was set up in 1969, and production started in small scale from July 1971. From September, official production began at a new factory in Washington set up with the aid of a government grant. Engineer Brian Luff, one of the brains behind the all-conquering Lotus 72
, created "a remarkably strong, yet ultra-lightweight, monocoque." Aside from the engine, front and rear suspensions were also lifted from the donor Imp. Handling was described as both agile and tenacious, and more power would not have proved a problem. Design was distinct rather than pretty, with debatable protruding headlights and slablike sides. The black plastic engine lid opened sideways, to the left.
The car was available in either kit or fully built versions. With the 51 hp at 6,100 rpm Imp Sport engine and four-speed manual transmission, top speed was 99 mph (159 km/h) Although the little car received good reviews and achieved some competition success, it was expensive at £1400 (£1123 in kit form) when compared with rivals. With little financial backing, constant industrial action, the fuel crisis
, and the imposition of VAT on kit cars in 1973 meant that Clan soon met its end in spite of passing MIRA crash testing in 1972. Particularly troublesome was when Chrysler went on strike and deliveries of running gear seized. The company shut down in November 1973. Total production in this first phase was 315, although a number were later finished from incomplete cars sold by the receivers.
After closure the body moulds were bought by Andreas Kaisis, a businessman from Cyprus
and owner of the Kaisis Motor Company
. Just as production was about to begin, Turkey invaded Cyprus
and plans were shelved. These moulds remained under cover until brought back to Britain a few years later. Meanwhile, about a dozen or so replica body shells made by copying an existing car were sold by Brian Luff. In 1982, Clan-fan Peter McCandless bought these moulds and intended to revive the car. At the same time, original founder Haussauer had the same idea and a period of recriminations occurred.
, Northern Ireland
, and built about 120 road cars and 10 competition cars over the next four years. Contemporary advertisements give an amazing price range of from £1,200 for a basic kit to £10,000 for a complete road ready car with new engine. The car, with a 998 cc Imp engine, was improved with disc brakes (from the MGB
). Other differences were its pop-up lights, heavier bumpers, chin spoiler, 13-inch wheels and a dashboard from the Ford Fiesta
. The Crusader name was not used for these cars. After Clan cars closed the body moulds were purchased by members of the Clan Owner's Club to use to make replacement panels.
and gearbox. It also received new glass, a rear spoiler, and blistered arches. It is believed that approximately 26 cars were made (twenty road cars and six racing versions). After well-publicized quality issues, Clan Cars ran into financial difficulties and went into receivership and ceased trading in June 1987.
-based version of the Clan, made in 1984 by Arthur Birchall, another of the original company founders. The car used a Mini engine and other parts and was thus front-engined and front-wheel-drive
. The body too underwent some changes, with different glazing and a reworked rear-end.
The Mini's tall A-series engine
also necessitated a modified, bulkier front. Much of the original Clan's sleekness was lost, but the McCoy still looked less awkward than many other Mini-based specials. The McCoy means that Clans (and derivatives) have been marketed with the engine mounted in the rear, front, as well as midships.
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
based on running gear
Running gear
The term running gear is used to describe the wheels, suspension, steering, powertrain & chassis/bodyshell of a motor-car or automobile, or the tracks and road wheels of a tank or similar tracked vehicle....
from the Hillman Imp
Hillman Imp
The Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1963 to 1976...
Sport, including its Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
derived, rear-mounted 875 cc engine. It was first made in Washington, Co Durham, England
Washington, Tyne and Wear
Washington is a town in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically part of County Durham, it joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear...
, between 1971 and 1974, but since then several efforts have been made to bring the car back to production. Plans were made by Martin Phaff (of previous Ginetta fame) to re-resurrect the Clan in 2009, but nothing seems to have come of the project so far.
Clan Crusader
The car was designed by a group of ex-LotusLotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
engineers led by Paul Haussauer with styling by John Frayling. The company was set up in 1969, and production started in small scale from July 1971. From September, official production began at a new factory in Washington set up with the aid of a government grant. Engineer Brian Luff, one of the brains behind the all-conquering Lotus 72
Lotus 72
The Lotus 72 was a Formula One car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe of Lotus for the 1970 Formula One season.- Development :The 72 was yet another innovative design by Chapman featuring inboard brakes, side mounted radiators in sidepods, as opposed to the nose mounted radiators which...
, created "a remarkably strong, yet ultra-lightweight, monocoque." Aside from the engine, front and rear suspensions were also lifted from the donor Imp. Handling was described as both agile and tenacious, and more power would not have proved a problem. Design was distinct rather than pretty, with debatable protruding headlights and slablike sides. The black plastic engine lid opened sideways, to the left.
The car was available in either kit or fully built versions. With the 51 hp at 6,100 rpm Imp Sport engine and four-speed manual transmission, top speed was 99 mph (159 km/h) Although the little car received good reviews and achieved some competition success, it was expensive at £1400 (£1123 in kit form) when compared with rivals. With little financial backing, constant industrial action, the fuel crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, and the imposition of VAT on kit cars in 1973 meant that Clan soon met its end in spite of passing MIRA crash testing in 1972. Particularly troublesome was when Chrysler went on strike and deliveries of running gear seized. The company shut down in November 1973. Total production in this first phase was 315, although a number were later finished from incomplete cars sold by the receivers.
After closure the body moulds were bought by Andreas Kaisis, a businessman from Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and owner of the Kaisis Motor Company
Kaisis Motor Company
Kaisis Motor Company is a vehicle manufacturer in Cyprus, in business between 1973 and the late 1980s. The branding takes after the name of the founder, Andreas Kaisis, a local entrepreneur. KMC manufactured trucks, buses, and many speciality vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines and airport...
. Just as production was about to begin, Turkey invaded Cyprus
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
and plans were shelved. These moulds remained under cover until brought back to Britain a few years later. Meanwhile, about a dozen or so replica body shells made by copying an existing car were sold by Brian Luff. In 1982, Clan-fan Peter McCandless bought these moulds and intended to revive the car. At the same time, original founder Haussauer had the same idea and a period of recriminations occurred.
'Irish' Clan
In 1982 some "unofficial" body moulds were bought by Peter McCandless who started a new company Clan Cars Ltd in NewtownardsNewtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and built about 120 road cars and 10 competition cars over the next four years. Contemporary advertisements give an amazing price range of from £1,200 for a basic kit to £10,000 for a complete road ready car with new engine. The car, with a 998 cc Imp engine, was improved with disc brakes (from the MGB
MG MGB
The MGB is a sports car launched by MG Cars in May 1962 to replace the MGA. Introduced as a four-cylinder roadster, a coupé with 2+2 seating was added in 1965...
). Other differences were its pop-up lights, heavier bumpers, chin spoiler, 13-inch wheels and a dashboard from the Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
. The Crusader name was not used for these cars. After Clan cars closed the body moulds were purchased by members of the Clan Owner's Club to use to make replacement panels.
Clan Clover
In 1985 Clan Cars developed a new, mid-engined version called the Clan Clover. It used a 1,490 cc, 105 hp Alfa Romeo Flat-4 engineAlfa Romeo Flat-4 engine
Alfa Romeo developed a water-cooled flat-4 engine for their new Alfasud, introduced in 1971 at the Turin Motor Show.-1200:The original engine displaced with an 80 mm bore and 59 mm stroke and produced between .Applications:...
and gearbox. It also received new glass, a rear spoiler, and blistered arches. It is believed that approximately 26 cars were made (twenty road cars and six racing versions). After well-publicized quality issues, Clan Cars ran into financial difficulties and went into receivership and ceased trading in June 1987.
McCoy
The McCoy was a MiniMini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
-based version of the Clan, made in 1984 by Arthur Birchall, another of the original company founders. The car used a Mini engine and other parts and was thus front-engined and front-wheel-drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
. The body too underwent some changes, with different glazing and a reworked rear-end.
The Mini's tall A-series engine
BMC A-Series engine
Austin Motor Company's small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. Launched in 1951 with the Austin A30, production lasted until 2000 in the Mini. It used a cast-iron block and cylinder head, and a steel crankshaft with 3 main bearings...
also necessitated a modified, bulkier front. Much of the original Clan's sleekness was lost, but the McCoy still looked less awkward than many other Mini-based specials. The McCoy means that Clans (and derivatives) have been marketed with the engine mounted in the rear, front, as well as midships.