Fairthorpe Cars
Fairthorpe Ltd was a British manufacturer of motorcars, active between 1954 and 1973. Production was in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, England between 1954 and 1961, from 1961 to 1973 in Denham, Buckinghamshire.[1]
Fairthorpe Ltd was founded by
Fairthorpe Ltd remains listed (as does Technical Exponents Ltd) at Denham Green Lane (as at 2007), but Fairthorpe does not trade.[citation needed]
Atom and Atomota
The first cars were lightweight two-seat models powered by motorcycle engines and with glassfibre bodies.
The 1954 Atom was powered by a rear-mounted, two-stroke, air-cooled motor cycle engine driving the rear wheels through a three-speed Albion motor cycle gearbox and chain to the back axle. A choice of 250 cc or 350 cc BSA single cylinder and 322 cc Anzani twin-cylinder engines was offered. The body was mounted on a backbone chassis and had all independent suspension by coil springs and hydraulic brakes. 44 were made.[3]
The Atomota replaced the Atom in 1957 and was a complete re-design with front-mounted engine and new chassis. The engine was a twin cylinder, 646 cc BSA overhead-valve unit from the
Electron
In 1956 a new larger car, the open 2-seat Electron appeared using a 1098 cc overhead-cam Coventry Climax engine. The front suspension was independent using coil springs and drum brakes were used all round. The engine was expensive for the company to buy resulting in a high price of £1050 (complete) or £734 (kit); only around 20-30 are thought to have been made.[4]
A reduced price version the Electron Minor followed in 1957 using the Standard SC engine, transmission and rear axle from the Standard Ten. In 1963 the car received a larger version of the SC engine from the Triumph Spitfire and front disc brakes came from the same source in 1966. A hardtop was available as an option. With various specification changes the cars went from a Mark I to a Mark VI which had a Triumph GT6 chassis.[4]
It was the mainstay of production until 1973 with about 700 being built.
There was also a closed 2+2 version with Triumph Herald mechanicals called the Electrina but only about 6 were produced.
The cars were available fully assembled or in kit form. Production peaked at about 20 cars a month.
Zeta
The Zeta was introduced in 1959, powered by a modified six-cylinder
Rockette
A new version of the Zeta, the Rockette, was introduced in 1962. Sporting a slightly modified glass-fibre body shell and using a Triumph Vitesse 1600 cc engine and Triumph independent front suspension. It was priced at £997, or £625 in kit form.[6] Approximately 25 were made up to 1967.[3]
TX
In 1967 Donald Bennett's son Torix joined the company and a new car the TX-GT coupé based on a Triumph GT6 chassis but with transverse rod independent rear suspension was announced. The engine was the 1998 cc unit also from the GT6. By this time the market for hand-built small production cars was declining and the last model, the TX-S was a modified TX-GT with a variety of engines and the choice of the standard GT6 rear suspension. It could also be had as the TX-SS with Triumph fuel-injected engines. Only about 30 of the TX cars were made.[3]
Another car, the TX Tripper, was produced by Torix's company, Technical Exponents, which shared premises with Fairthorpe. Looking like a psychedelic cross between a beach buggy and a sports car it was marketed as a TX and offered with either the Triumph chassis or a TX designed chassis. Triumph engines powered its various models: 1300, 2000, and 2500. About 20 were made.[3]
Cars
- Fairthorpe Atom (1954–57): 250 cc to 650 cc, chain drive
- Fairthorpe Atomota (1958–60): 650 cc, live rear axle
- Fairthorpe Electron (1956–65): Coventry Climax engine. Front disc from 1957. Final version with Triumph Spitfire engine. Body Microplas Mistral.
- Fairthorpe Electron Minor (1957–73): Standard 10/Triumph Herald engine. Final version on Triumph GT6 chassis with Spitfire engine (1968).
- Fairthorpe Electrina (1961–63): closed 4-seat version of the Electron
- Fairthorpe Zeta (1959–65): racing version
- Fairthorpe Rockette (1963–67): as Zeta but with Triumph Vitesse engine
- Fairthorpe TX-GT (1967–76): 2-seat coupe with Triumph 2-litre 6-cylinder engine
- Fairthorpe TX-S and TX-SS: (1969–76): similar to the TX-GT but with a wider variety of engine and transmission packages, all Triumph.
See also
References
Citations
- ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
- ^ "The vision of Air Vice Marshall Donald (Pathfinder) Bennett". fairthorpescc.com. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-9541063-9-3.
- ^ ISBN 1-870979-39-7.
- ^ Nye (1970), p. 40
- ^ Nye (1970), p. 41
Bibliography
- Nye, Doug (1970), British Cars of the Sixties (2008 ed.), Parker House Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9796891-6-1