Purvis Eureka
Encyclopedia
The Purvis Eureka is a sports car
which was produced by Purvis Cars at Dandenong in Victoria
, Australia
from 1974 to 1991.
First exhibited at the 1974 Melbourne International Motor Show, the Eureka was based on the British Nova kit car
design of 1971. It utilised a Volkswagen Beetle
chassis, a fibreglass body and, most commonly, an air-cooled Volkswagen
flat four or a Ford inline four-cylinder engine. Others with Mazda Rotary
powerplants were also produced. The Eureka was offered both as a kit car
and as a fully assembled vehicle. The coupe body had no doors, access being via a manually operated one piece canopy
, although a power operated canopy was later offered as an option. A Targa top
version was also available from the early 1980s.
Three models of the Eureka were produced.
235 examples of the Eureka Sport were produced and the total output of all Eureka models had reached 683 when production ended in 1991.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
which was produced by Purvis Cars at Dandenong in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1974 to 1991.
First exhibited at the 1974 Melbourne International Motor Show, the Eureka was based on the British Nova 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...
design of 1971. It utilised a Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
chassis, a fibreglass body and, most commonly, an air-cooled 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...
flat four or a Ford inline four-cylinder engine. Others with Mazda Rotary
Mazda Wankel engine
The Mazda Wankel engines are family of car engines derived from experiments in the early 1960s by Felix Wankel, a German engineer...
powerplants were also produced. The Eureka was offered both as a 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...
and as a fully assembled vehicle. The coupe body had no doors, access being via a manually operated one piece canopy
Vehicle canopy
A vehicle canopy is a rarely used type of door for cars. It has no official name so it is also known as an articulated canopy, bubble canopy, cockpit canopy, canopy door, or simply a canopy. A canopy is a type of door which sits on top of a car and lifts up in some way, to provide access for...
, although a power operated canopy was later offered as an option. A Targa top
Targa top
Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
version was also available from the early 1980s.
Three models of the Eureka were produced.
- Purvis Eureka Sports, from 1974 to 1975
- Purvis Eureka PL30, from 1975 to 1976
- Purvis Eureka F4, from 1976 to 1991
235 examples of the Eureka Sport were produced and the total output of all Eureka models had reached 683 when production ended in 1991.