Britain's "remarkable automotive cottage industry"

[stevehaygood]

Well, I'd like to put in my 2 cents worth. I lived in the UK for 6 yrs. 1989-1996and while I was there I probably visited almost each one of the "Cobra" manufactureres. One of the 1st trips was to Harlow to see the Dax" cobra and what was known then as the "Python" cobra, also in the town of Harlow.
While I was visiting the "Dax" cpmpany I was talking to one of the reps there who said the Dax company had been in business of fabricating "GRP" -Glass reinforced plastic or "fiberglass as we call it over here. I asked how come so long in the business? The answer was that WWII rationing went on in the UK until 1954! The Brits won the war but lost the peace as the joke goes over there. Almost all of the UK manufactured cars from after the war(Jaguar, MG, Austin Healey, Rolls Royce, etc. until the 1960's was for the export market for hard currency (read U.S of A) Most Brits were still driving cars from before the war. so after all those years of making fiberglass replacement parts for all the pre-war autos is how the replica market came into being. And the "DAX" Cobra"s frame was indeed designed by John Tojiero and was/is still a selling point for their "round tube" car. And John Tojiero was also in fact the designer of the AC Ace which was inspired by the Ferrari "Barchetta" (It means little boat/barge in Italian) When he quit AC, he took his design with him to do with as he pleased.
Anyway .. my 2 cents worth

[What'saCobra?]

When WWII was over, they dumped Winston rather summarily (they were bored with his age) and bot a round of labor governments that was now certain with their new Russian Allies to bring in a more complete socialist control of production..the source of any money in the country, of course.

Those governments, completely against market economies and impressed with the Soviets, experimented unsuccessfully with the English economy, gave enormous strength to the unions, washed away all military strength, screwed small businesses (along with the "rich"), instituted confiscatory tax rates that screwed investment, limited job growth, encouraged brain drain and were never told the truth about the Socialist Murderers until the 70's, by their compromised Communist press (think New York Times writer Walter Duranty...do a Google.)

That's why they lost the peace.

It was not until Margarat Thatcher that those errors were corrected.

But Tojiero was a brilliant designer and the DAX is a super driver with the V-12 installed.

[Goober]

stevehaygood
I too lived in the UK for 19 years. I ended up with a RAM Cobra (LR Roadsters) which was driven by Adrian Cocking. Adrian was ex-DAX and was the man that actually named the company DAX while he was reading a novel. Your right about Tojiero and his design. Adrian did a similar move using Reynard to design his space frame. RAM was also the only company outside the U.S. to be approved by Carroll Shelby as a replica Cobra maker.
Weird that I too live in Cypress. Drop me a line sometime
Mark

[nikbj68]

...And so is born a beautiful friendship! I recall the Ram demonstrator was used in a music video. Level 42`s 'Something about you' in 1985. It had the Registration no RAM 1T & was metallic blue. COOL!

[Trevor Legate]

And the thread goes on.......

OK so the DAX was designed by John Tojeiro. Well yes. it was eventually sorted out by him and carried his seal of approval. Original DAX's.......oh dear. They began by making a body to the order of a German gent who fancied re-bodying Corvettes in Europe. Deal went sour (gosh) and they ended up advertising in the UK trade mag (Excange & Mart) claiming the bodies would fit onto a variety of weird donor cars. It chills the blood to think any of these escaped onto the Queens Highway. Then they employed Adrian Cocking whose mate came with him because he owned an Arntz body. The new DAX body was copied from that. They then got a south coast enginneering company to help with a chassis and - well well - they though they could do a better job and along comes the Southern Roadcraft Cobra 427........with me so far? The DAX struggles along before they got Mr.Tojeiro along and clean up the act -they now make a worthy product. Saw the first V12 DAX just after Frank Catt (see the GT40 club website) completed the shoe-horn installation. Nice and ruddy quick thank you Auntie, but made the wrong noise.
So of course Adrian Cocking left and set up RAM (to do a better job etc) and got Adrian Reynard involved. Managed to wangle a deal out of a trusting Mr.C.S. and then issued an unapproved press release to say RAM are the ONLY manufacturers of Cobras in the world - smack in the middle of the court battle between Shelby and AC Cars who were selling the AC Cobra, with full approval for sole use of the name from Ford! You can just imagine how pleased ol Shel was...!!! Ay karamba. Goodbye RAM and Mr.Cocking disappeared into the wilderness, destined to wander forever in utter disgrace. Actually I never did get to the bottom of what really happened to RAM - the mention of his name to the UK Cobra Club brought forth expletives so I thought it best to back off. Rumor has it RAM will return, but no sign yet.

So you see its a hotbed of intrigue and endless fun on the replica scene over here. One big happy family.

On the matter of UK politics (!) yes the Brits did dump Winston Churchill after the war, but re-elected him at the next election. We do things like that. He was 75 then and not really up to the task, and actually carried on for too long after a stroke. Always cantankerous and never prepared to let go and sit back to reflect on past glories. Always hanging on to power, never admiting defeat. Unique guy, can't think of anyone else like that.....

re the similarity between the AC Ace and the Ferrari 166 - the Tojeiro Bristol (LOY500) (forrunner of the Ace, and a Ferrari 166 lined up in the Goodwood paddock alongside each other last year and I was able to get the photo I always wanted - see my next book!!!!!!!!!

[nikbj68]

...Think we should change the thread title to "BRITAIN`S REMARKABLE HISTORY"? It is indeed scary to see some of the home-brewed vehicles of the seventies, which I suppose was a direct cause of the introduction of the SVA regulations. A lot of folk complain about niggling compliance issues, but it keeps 200hp bedframes off the streets!

[AC Cobra]

Trevor....

"He was 75 then and not really up to the task, and actually carried on for too long after a stroke. Always cantankerous and never prepared to let go and sit back to reflect on past glories. Always hanging on to power, never admiting defeat. Unique guy, can't think of anyone else like that....."

Really???

[nikbj68]

..There isn`t an emoticon for 'tongue in cheek' is there?

[Goober]

In case a lot of you haven't actually seen a RAM Cobra, here was mine in the UK. Note the wide transmission tunnel. It had to be that large to fit the Reynard frame. This was the only drawback I had with RAM. Other than that, they built an excellent car. Mostly used Chevy small blocks and oddly used a Toyota 5speed gearbox on most cars!!

[wilf leek]

RAMs were and still are nice cars. One lives not far from me, and another I know of is a regular at drag strips here in the UK. I understand that the rebirth of RAM cars is struggling along, Trevor - you might enquire of a certain Cheng Lim at Thunder Cars if you wanted to know more.

Apocryphal tales of unroadworthy heaps on the Queens Highway certainly had a basis of truth at one time, but our SVA test has gone a very long way to stopping that. It might be a pain to pass, but it certainly ensures the safety of your handiwork. As I have said several times here, it is a pity that the US cannot find something similar, but there again I do know how you guys react to any infringement of your personal rights.

[rdorman]

Trevor, I would like to buy you a pint, or a dozen or so!

Adrian Reynard. I have not thought of that name in years. When I was at the '86 Run-offs with Bernard Devaney, Tommy Byrne and John McCracken I was offered a job for Reynard. A tall lovely thing with deep auburn hair (name escapes me at the moment) made an offer for me to come back to the UK and work for Reynard. Like a fool I said no.

I received a similar offer from Argo at the time but also turned it down.

Reynard is definiatly one of those moments where I look back and say 'what if'.

I under stand Bernard has a son doing quite well. Tommy is doing some instructing and looking to open a school of his own. He told me that he beleives that he has discovered what he really enjoys in life. If you know Tommy, it would be a suprise! John died some time ago in a crash.

Cheers!

Rick

[Trevor Legate]

Originally posted by rdorman


(Trevor, I would like to buy you a pint, or a dozen or so!)



Well, that's a date then!!!!!!! Cheers!


On the Reynard Racing front, they closed their doors last year whilst in the throes of attempting to design a replacement for the Caterham 7 (a thankless/impossible task if ever there was one)

[What'saCobra?]

Oh, so right.
Read next lines, Wilf, old chap.

[rdorman]

Originally posted by Trevor Legate

See you then Trevor. Come to COlumbus for the fling and all you can carry. My trip to the UK is coming, but a few years off.

I heard about Reynard. Shame. Had I started with them in '86, might have been a different story

Rick

[Excaliber]

Winstons parrot is STILL alive! 104 year old Charlie is actually a girl.

The parrots vocabulary is little changed from the war years:

F*** the Nazis

F*** Hitler

are two of her favorite sayings. Winston taught Charlie that, good man he was!

Ernie

[rdorman]

Ernie, what am I missing here?
Rick

[Excaliber]

Your not missing much. Our English friends mentioned Churchill, thought I'd follow along. Could be a bloody hi-jack underway?

I love the flavor of this international thread. What cool insights to the life across the pond.

Ernie

[Trevor Legate]

Wow - we got the thread on to Winston's bleedin' parrot. Sorry, I can't top that. I surrender.
By the way, the Winston Churchill/political debate was American-led, so don't blame the poor old Brits for introducing that. Go back a couple of pages. Us Brits never stray off topic.....we lack the imagination! (now where's that tongue-in-cheek icon?)

[What'saCobra?]

Yea, often Americans think I'm British, because I took one year of European History and stick-up for the Brits, particularly for AC Cars, Ltd. and its MD's.

But, I felt compelled to explain why the Brits had lost the "peace" after WWII, since it was mentioned in passing without due credit to the efforts of the Soviets to stuff Britain down the drain as the first step in then stuffing the US of A down the drain. Of course, it didn't work. Britain resisted. With our nuclear cover.

My humble apologies for dwelling at length upon the topic.

[Trevor Legate]

You can't beat a bit of nuclear cover. (always popular with MD's of AC Cars. I'm told)

Sorry - I'm being silly now