Unipower
Encyclopedia
The Unipower GT was a British specialist sports car first shown at the January 1966 Racing Car Show, and produced by truck maker Universal Power Drives Ltd
in Perivale
, Middlesex and later by U.W.F. Automotive in London until production ceased in early 1970, by which time around 75 are believed to have been made, including about 15 built by U.W.F..
The car was based on BMC
Mini
mechanical components with the transverse engine and gearbox unit mounted in a mid-engine configuration. A strong spaceframe chassis with integral roll-over protection was bonded to a fibreglass body to produce a light yet rigid structure, with all-round independent coil spring and wishbone suspension. Combining light weight, a low centre of gravity and low aerodynamic drag from a body that measured just 40.5 inches (1,029 mm) high, the Unipower offered very good performance and excellent road holding and handling characteristics. Available with the 998 cc Mini-Cooper or more potent 1275 cc Cooper "S" engine, this later version was reported to be capable of 0-60 mph in around 8 seconds and to have a maximum speed of almost 120 mi/h.
A design was produced for a larger Unipower but this did not go into production with the original makers instead eventually evolving into the AC
ME3000.
Unipower also made a limited number of the "glass box" Quasar-Unipower
cars.
Universal Power Drives
Universal Power Drives was a British truck manufacturer which branded its trucks with the Unipower marque.-History:Universal Power Drives was founded in 1934 with a factory in Perivale and its head office in Aldwych, London. During the 1930s, 40s and 50s it specialised in producing 4x4 forestry...
in Perivale
Perivale
Perivale is a small suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, west of Charing Cross, central London. Landmarks in the suburb include the A40, a large road that connects Central London with the M40 motorway, and the large Art Deco Hoover Building, as well as St Mary's Church , the River Brent and...
, Middlesex and later by U.W.F. Automotive in London until production ceased in early 1970, by which time around 75 are believed to have been made, including about 15 built by U.W.F..
The car was based on BMC
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
Mini
Mini
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...
mechanical components with the transverse engine and gearbox unit mounted in a mid-engine configuration. A strong spaceframe chassis with integral roll-over protection was bonded to a fibreglass body to produce a light yet rigid structure, with all-round independent coil spring and wishbone suspension. Combining light weight, a low centre of gravity and low aerodynamic drag from a body that measured just 40.5 inches (1,029 mm) high, the Unipower offered very good performance and excellent road holding and handling characteristics. Available with the 998 cc Mini-Cooper or more potent 1275 cc Cooper "S" engine, this later version was reported to be capable of 0-60 mph in around 8 seconds and to have a maximum speed of almost 120 mi/h.
A design was produced for a larger Unipower but this did not go into production with the original makers instead eventually evolving into the AC
AC Cars
AC Cars Group Ltd. formerly known as Auto Carriers Ltd. is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car marques founded in Britain...
ME3000.
Unipower also made a limited number of the "glass box" Quasar-Unipower
Quasar-Unipower
The Quasar-Unipower was a box-like car produced in limited numbers between 1967 and 1968 by Universal Power Drives of Perivale, Middlesex, England who also made the Unipower sports car. The car was designed by Quasar Khanh a French-Vietnamese designer and engineer.The car had a unique appearance,...
cars.