Trident (car company)
Encyclopedia
Trident Cars Ltd was a British car manufacturer based originally in Woodbridge
then in Ipswich
, Suffolk between 1966 and 1974 and again after being restarted in 1976 from premises in Ipswich. The new company stopped production in 1977-78.
Their first car, the prototype Clipper convertible, was based on a prototype TVR
model which had attractive two seater coupe steel and aluminium bodywork styled by Englishman Trevor Frost (also known as Trevor Fiore, and also responsible for the Elva
GT160) and built in Italy by Fissore. This TVR Trident Coupe was shown at the 1965 Geneva Motor Show and in addition two more coupes and a single convertible prototype were also made.
Due to a financial crisis at the TVR company, the project passed instead to one of their dealers, W.J. (Bill) Last, who created a separate Trident Cars company to manufacture it using the premises previously used by him for making the Peel Viking Sport
. The cars were at first fitted with Ford
4.7 litre V8 in a chassis that was a near copy of the one used on the Austin-Healey 3000
and had similar styling to the TVR prototypes, but were made instead in fibreglass. The first Trident Clipper Convertible prototype was displayed at the Racing Car Show at Olympia in London in January 1966 but little more was heard until the first Clipper Coupe was shown, again at the Olympia Racing Car Show, in January 1967.
The car was claimed to have a maximum speed of 150 mi/h and a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds. It was available as a complete car or in kit form. The cars were expensive, the kit version costing £1923.
A second car, the Venturer was announced in 1969 with similar bodywork and powered by a Ford 3 litre V6 but now on a lengthened (to 93 inches) Triumph
TR6 chassis giving the car independent suspension all round by coil springs. In 1971 the car cost £2300 in kit form.
Following problems with engine supply following a strike at Ford, Chrysler
5.4 litre V8 engines were fitted to the Clipper from 1971 and the Tycoon fitted with a Triumph 2.5 litre straight 6 engine was added to the range. The car now cost £3250 fully built.
The engine problems and financial climate in the 1970s resulted in the company closing down in 1974. An attempt was made to restart production in 1976 but few cars were made before final closure in 1977.
Between 1967 and 1977 about 39 Clippers, 84 Venturers and 7 Tycoons were produced.
A new Trident company was established in May 1999 in Fakenham
, Norfolk, to develop and manufacture a two-seater sports car the Iceni, originally to use a 3.2 litre GM V6 engine, later changed to a 6.6 litre V8. In 2002 the company changed its name to Broadley Performance Vehicles plc. Series production starts in 2007, and the car has been modified since to fit the 6.6 litre V8 engine, capable of 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 170 mi/h. More surprisingly, however, is the fact that the car can achieve a top fuel consumption of around 70 mpg. On April 27 2007 an Iceni filled with 100 litres of diesel was to be driven from the Norfolk factory to the Monaco Motorshow (nearly 1000 miles), with the filler cap sealed to prevent any fill ups.
The Iceni appeared on Project Gotham Racing 2
.
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It is in the East of England, not far from the coast. It lies along the River Deben, with a population of about 7,480. The town is served by Woodbridge railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. Woodbridge is twinned with...
then in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, Suffolk between 1966 and 1974 and again after being restarted in 1976 from premises in Ipswich. The new company stopped production in 1977-78.
Their first car, the prototype Clipper convertible, was based on a prototype TVR
TVR
thumb|right|240px|TVR No.2, the oldest surviving TVR, located at [[Lakeland Motor Museum, Newby Bridge, Cumbria]]TVR was an independent British manufacturer of sports cars. Until 2006 it was based in the English seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, but has since split up into several smaller...
model which had attractive two seater coupe steel and aluminium bodywork styled by Englishman Trevor Frost (also known as Trevor Fiore, and also responsible for the Elva
Elva (car manufacturer)
Elva was a sports and racing car manufacturing company based in Bexhill, then Hastings and Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1955 by Frank G. Nichols. The name comes from the French phrase elle va .-Racing cars:...
GT160) and built in Italy by Fissore. This TVR Trident Coupe was shown at the 1965 Geneva Motor Show and in addition two more coupes and a single convertible prototype were also made.
Due to a financial crisis at the TVR company, the project passed instead to one of their dealers, W.J. (Bill) Last, who created a separate Trident Cars company to manufacture it using the premises previously used by him for making the Peel Viking Sport
Peel Viking Sport
The Peel Viking Sport was a BMC Mini based car made by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man between 1966 and 1967. It was a 1966 Racing Car Show debutant, and while not the prettiest of alternative Minis, it did have durability and 2+2 practicality on its side...
. The cars were at first fitted with Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
4.7 litre V8 in a chassis that was a near copy of the one used on the Austin-Healey 3000
Austin-Healey 3000
The Austin-Healey 3000 is a British sports car built from 1959 to 1967, and is the best known of the "big" Healey models. The car's bodywork was made by Jensen Motors, and the vehicles were assembled at the BMC Abingdon works....
and had similar styling to the TVR prototypes, but were made instead in fibreglass. The first Trident Clipper Convertible prototype was displayed at the Racing Car Show at Olympia in London in January 1966 but little more was heard until the first Clipper Coupe was shown, again at the Olympia Racing Car Show, in January 1967.
The car was claimed to have a maximum speed of 150 mi/h and a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds. It was available as a complete car or in kit form. The cars were expensive, the kit version costing £1923.
A second car, the Venturer was announced in 1969 with similar bodywork and powered by a Ford 3 litre V6 but now on a lengthened (to 93 inches) Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
TR6 chassis giving the car independent suspension all round by coil springs. In 1971 the car cost £2300 in kit form.
Following problems with engine supply following a strike at Ford, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
5.4 litre V8 engines were fitted to the Clipper from 1971 and the Tycoon fitted with a Triumph 2.5 litre straight 6 engine was added to the range. The car now cost £3250 fully built.
The engine problems and financial climate in the 1970s resulted in the company closing down in 1974. An attempt was made to restart production in 1976 but few cars were made before final closure in 1977.
Between 1967 and 1977 about 39 Clippers, 84 Venturers and 7 Tycoons were produced.
A new Trident company was established in May 1999 in Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
, Norfolk, to develop and manufacture a two-seater sports car the Iceni, originally to use a 3.2 litre GM V6 engine, later changed to a 6.6 litre V8. In 2002 the company changed its name to Broadley Performance Vehicles plc. Series production starts in 2007, and the car has been modified since to fit the 6.6 litre V8 engine, capable of 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 170 mi/h. More surprisingly, however, is the fact that the car can achieve a top fuel consumption of around 70 mpg. On April 27 2007 an Iceni filled with 100 litres of diesel was to be driven from the Norfolk factory to the Monaco Motorshow (nearly 1000 miles), with the filler cap sealed to prevent any fill ups.
The Iceni appeared on Project Gotham Racing 2
Project Gotham Racing 2
Project Gotham Racing 2 is a racing game for the Xbox, developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft. PGR2 is the sequel to the highly successful Project Gotham Racing. It is the second title in the Project Gotham Racing series.As in PGR, the route to advancement in PGR2 differs from...
.