Heron Cars
Encyclopedia
Heron Cars were racing cars, sports and kit cars built in New Zealand
between 1962 and 1999 by Ross Baker. They also included a one-off electric car..
motor show. Thirty three orders were confirmed and the first production version was built in 1984 with engine options ranging from a Fiat
125
4 cylinder engine to V8. Summit Engineering became involved in the Company to provide the necessary finance in return for a two thirds share.. The orignial concept was a very simple car using reconditioned parts supplied by the customer, with Heron assembling them into a complete roadworthy car. Summit wanted the cars built completely by Summit using mainly new parts. Problems then began to occur with production, causing rising costs, and the MJ1's final demise was caused in 1985 by imported Japanese motor vehicles such as the Mazda
RX7 costing less. Finally in a fairly acrimonious mood, Baker brought back the two thirds share from Summit.
There are known to be 6 prototypes and 19 production models of the MJ1.
V8, motor and five speed Subaru
gearbox. Only two were made.
front suspension, a five-speed Heron/Škoda
gearbox, and unequal length wishbones on the rear.
23B Sports car. Designed in 1962 and built in 1963 with Bob Gee, an experienced boat racer, assisting Baker. It used a Ford Cortina
1500cc engine with twin 45mm Weber
carbs and a Volkswagen
4 speed transaxle. The overall weight of the car was 450kg. Only one was built.
Corvair
engine and gearbox. The Corvair engine was unavailable so a Daimler
Dart 2558cc V8 connected to a Citroën
DS 19
gearbox was installed instead. Three were made, one each for Richardson, Gee, and Baker - this also explains the 3 in the name.
Corvette
327 cu in V8 and running a gearbox designed by Heron.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
between 1962 and 1999 by Ross Baker. They also included a one-off electric car..
MJ 1
The MJ 1 was a two seater mid-engined coupe designed in 1980 and with prototypes displayed at the 1981 AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
motor show. Thirty three orders were confirmed and the first production version was built in 1984 with engine options ranging from a Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
125
Fiat 125
The Fiat 125 is a large family car introduced by Fiat in 1967 and produced by them until 1972. Derivatives were built under license outside Italy until the 1990s...
4 cylinder engine to V8. Summit Engineering became involved in the Company to provide the necessary finance in return for a two thirds share.. The orignial concept was a very simple car using reconditioned parts supplied by the customer, with Heron assembling them into a complete roadworthy car. Summit wanted the cars built completely by Summit using mainly new parts. Problems then began to occur with production, causing rising costs, and the MJ1's final demise was caused in 1985 by imported Japanese motor vehicles such as the Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
RX7 costing less. Finally in a fairly acrimonious mood, Baker brought back the two thirds share from Summit.
There are known to be 6 prototypes and 19 production models of the MJ1.
MJ 2+2
The MJ 2+2 was designed in 1985, but none made until 1998 when Roy Hoare approached Baker about building one. There were no moulds so Hoare agreed to pay to have the moulds made if he could have a body shell. Baker made the moulds and a body. Baker also made an extra body, which was fitted with a RoverRover
-Leyland companies:* Rover Company , a British motorcycle and car manufacturing company, absorbed into Leyland Motor Corporation in 1967* Austin Rover Group , a mass-market car manufacturing subsidiary of Leyland...
V8, motor and five speed Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
gearbox. Only two were made.
XR1 racing car
Designed in 1985 and completed in 1990, it was basically a roofless MJ1 with a 3.5 litre Rover V8 engine. It had a very light aluminium monocoque chassis, Triumph VitesseTriumph Vitesse
The Triumph Vitesse was a compact six-cylinder car built by Standard-Triumph from 1962 to 1971. The car was styled by Michelotti, and was available in saloon and convertible variants....
front suspension, a five-speed Heron/Škoda
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
gearbox, and unequal length wishbones on the rear.
Mark 1 racing car
A replicar of the LotusLotus
- Botany :*Lotus , various botanical taxa*Lotus *Lotus Flower, Nelumbo nucifera- Motor cars :*Lotus Cars, a British motor vehicle manufacturer**Team Lotus, a British Formula One racing team that competed between 1954 and 1994...
23B Sports car. Designed in 1962 and built in 1963 with Bob Gee, an experienced boat racer, assisting Baker. It used 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...
1500cc engine with twin 45mm Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
carbs and a Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
4 speed transaxle. The overall weight of the car was 450kg. Only one was built.
Mark 2/3 racing car
Ken Richardson, Bob Gee, and Baker built the Mark 2/3 in 1965 and also based on the Lotus 23B but originally intended to use a ChevroletChevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Corvair
Chevrolet Corvair
-First generation :The 1960 Corvair 500 and 700 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities in order to keep the price competitive, with the 500 selling for under $2,000...
engine and gearbox. The Corvair engine was unavailable so a Daimler
Daimler
- Daimler with reference to motor vehicles :refers to:* Gottlieb Daimler , German automobile inventor- Business co-founded by Gottlieb Daimler :...
Dart 2558cc V8 connected to a Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
DS 19
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
gearbox was installed instead. Three were made, one each for Richardson, Gee, and Baker - this also explains the 3 in the name.
GT Mark 4 racing car
Building commenced in 1967 and finally finished in 1988. It was a replica of the Ford GT Mk4. Powered by a ChevroletChevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
327 cu in V8 and running a gearbox designed by Heron.