Gilbern
Encyclopedia
Gilbern cars were made in Llantwit Fardre
, Pontypridd
, Glamorgan
, Wales
between 1959 and 1973.
Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd was founded by Giles Smith, a butcher, and Bernard Friese, a German engineer with experience in glass fibre mouldings, and was one of the few cars to be made in Wales. Friese had made a one-off car for himself and the two partners used this as the basis for the first Gilbern car. The premises were a tiny workshop in Church Village
, Pontypridd but when production started the business moved to a new location at the old Red Ash Colliery at nearby Llantwit Fadre. The cars were available at first only as kits but later complete cars were also available.
The name, Gilbern, was a combination of the first three letters of the name of founder Giles Smith and the first four letters of the name of his co-founder Bernard Friese.
In 1968, following a search for a cash injection, Gilbern was taken over by Ace Capital Holdings Ltd, whose main business was the manufacture of slot machines. Following the takeover Giles Smith left the company to be replaced by Mike Leather and Maurice Collins as joint managing directors. In 1970 Ace was bought by entertainment group Mecca Ltd, who sold the company to Maurice Collins; in 1972 he in turn sold it to Mike Leather.
The cars were expensive for the time and became more so with taxation changes that added Value Added Tax
to kit car
s. Production ceased in 1973.
A one-off concept car, the T11, was produced, just prior to the company's closure, and was restored in 2009-10, appearing in some classic car articles in early 2010.
with an optional Shorrocks supercharger or Coventry Climax
1098 cc engines. The chassis was fabricated from square steel tubing and the front suspension was initially from the Austin A35
. The body was a one-piece moulding. Although usually supplied in kit form, the body was provided fully trimmed and painted leaving the purchaser to only complete the mechanical items.
Later versions came with a B-series
1500 or 1600 cc MGA
or 1800 cc MGB
engine and coil-sprung BMC rear axle. With the coming of the larger engine, the car was renamed the 1800GT.
A car with 1600 cc (ex MGA) engine was tested by the British The Motor magazine in 1961 and was found to have a top speed of 94.3 mph (151.8 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 13.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 35 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £978 including taxes of £251.
The 2.5-litre version was dropped in 1968. In 1969 a complete car cost around £2000.
Launched in September 1972, the Mk III version had a Ford Cortina
front suspension and was restyled front and rear. The engine was the higher tune unit from the Ford Capri 3000GT. The body was produced using new moulds and was both wider and lower than that of the earlier Invader. Track was extended by four inches (10 cm). The wider axle led to wheel spats being added to the sides of the car. At the back the live rear axle was located by trailing links and a Panhard rod: adjustable shock absorbers were fitted all round.
It was only available as a factory-built car and cost £2693 in 1972.
Llantwit Fardre
Llantwit Fardre is a large village situated on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend , road near the Welsh towns of Pontypridd and Llantrisant. Confusingly, Llantwit Fardre is also the name of the old parish and the community area that takes in the villages of Llantwit Fardre, Tonteg and Church...
, Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
between 1959 and 1973.
Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd was founded by Giles Smith, a butcher, and Bernard Friese, a German engineer with experience in glass fibre mouldings, and was one of the few cars to be made in Wales. Friese had made a one-off car for himself and the two partners used this as the basis for the first Gilbern car. The premises were a tiny workshop in Church Village
Church Village
Church Village is a large village in the historic parish and community of Llantwit Fardre, located within the Taff Ely district of the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales...
, Pontypridd but when production started the business moved to a new location at the old Red Ash Colliery at nearby Llantwit Fadre. The cars were available at first only as kits but later complete cars were also available.
The name, Gilbern, was a combination of the first three letters of the name of founder Giles Smith and the first four letters of the name of his co-founder Bernard Friese.
In 1968, following a search for a cash injection, Gilbern was taken over by Ace Capital Holdings Ltd, whose main business was the manufacture of slot machines. Following the takeover Giles Smith left the company to be replaced by Mike Leather and Maurice Collins as joint managing directors. In 1970 Ace was bought by entertainment group Mecca Ltd, who sold the company to Maurice Collins; in 1972 he in turn sold it to Mike Leather.
The cars were expensive for the time and became more so with taxation changes that added Value Added Tax
Value added tax
A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
to kit car
Kit car
A kit car, also known as a "component car", is an automobile that is available as a set of parts that a manufacturer sells and the buyer then either assembles into a car themselves, or retains a third party to do part or all of the work on their behalf...
s. Production ceased in 1973.
A one-off concept car, the T11, was produced, just prior to the company's closure, and was restored in 2009-10, appearing in some classic car articles in early 2010.
Gilbern GT
The GT, a 2+2 two-door coupé was the company's first car and was made between 1959 and 1967. The GT Mk 1 was initially available with either 948 cc Austin-Healey SpriteAustin-Healey Sprite
The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car which was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, just before that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to...
with an optional Shorrocks supercharger or 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...
1098 cc engines. The chassis was fabricated from square steel tubing and the front suspension was initially from the Austin A35
Austin A35
The A35 was a small car sold by the British Motor Corporation under the Austin marque in the 1950s.-Design:Introduced in 1956, it replaced the highly successful Austin A30...
. The body was a one-piece moulding. Although usually supplied in kit form, the body was provided fully trimmed and painted leaving the purchaser to only complete the mechanical items.
Later versions came with a B-series
BMC B-Series engine
The BMC B-series was a straight-4 internal combustion engine family, mostly used in motor cars, created by British company Austin Motor Company. The pre-cursor of the "B" series engine was a 1200 cc OHV engine which was used in the 1947 Austin A40 Devon. This A40 Devon engine was based on a...
1500 or 1600 cc MGA
MG MGA
The MGA is a sports car produced by MG division of the British Motor Corporation from 1955 to 1962.The MGA replaced the older T-type cars and represented a complete styling break from the older vehicles. The car was officially launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1955...
or 1800 cc 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...
engine and coil-sprung BMC rear axle. With the coming of the larger engine, the car was renamed the 1800GT.
A car with 1600 cc (ex MGA) engine was tested by the British The Motor magazine in 1961 and was found to have a top speed of 94.3 mph (151.8 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 13.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 35 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £978 including taxes of £251.
Gilbern Genie
In 1966 a larger, more up-market model, the Genie, appeared at the London Motor Show. It could be had with either a 2.5- or 3-litre Ford V6 engine and gearbox with optional overdrive, but the steering and back axle were still BMC units from the MGB. The rear suspension differed from the MG in having coil-spring/damper units and trailing arms.The 2.5-litre version was dropped in 1968. In 1969 a complete car cost around £2000.
Gilbern Invader
The final car was the Invader, introduced in July 1969 and based on the Genie but with improved chassis and larger brakes. The front suspension now came from the MGC and the chassis was strengthened. It took the brand further up- market with fittings such as electric windows and walnut-veneered dashboard. The Invader was available as a complete car and from 1970 an estate version was also produced. Automatic or manual transmission with overdrive were available. It was updated to the Mk II version in 1971.Launched in September 1972, the Mk III version had a Ford Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
front suspension and was restyled front and rear. The engine was the higher tune unit from the Ford Capri 3000GT. The body was produced using new moulds and was both wider and lower than that of the earlier Invader. Track was extended by four inches (10 cm). The wider axle led to wheel spats being added to the sides of the car. At the back the live rear axle was located by trailing links and a Panhard rod: adjustable shock absorbers were fitted all round.
It was only available as a factory-built car and cost £2693 in 1972.