Stimson Safari Six
| Stimson Safari Six | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 1972–73 |
| Designer | Barry Stimson |
| Body and chassis | |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel drive |
The Stimson Safari Six is a Mini-based six-wheeled pickup motor vehicle designed by Barry Stimson. It was introduced into the UK market in 1972, when it was offered for sale by Design Developments at £800 (equivalent to £11,200 in 2021[a]). That price included a hood covering the entire vehicle from the rear to the windscreen, with a zip-up sidescreen that served as the driver's door. The car was also available in kit form from £270, depending on its level of completion.[1]
The Safari Six was in production for about a year before Design Developments went into receivership in 1974, having by then produced about 20 cars.[2]
Construction[edit]
The vehicle's glassfibre body is mounted on a steel tubular-frame chassis. It has a fold-down rear bench seat and a lockable underfloor boot.[3]
Engine and transmission[edit]
The front-wheel drive Safari Six is powered by an 848 cc (51.7 cu in) Austin Mini engine and gearbox mounted on a Mini sub frame.[1]
Later developments[edit]
The rights to the Safari Six were acquired by Automotive Services, who planned to convert the vehicle to use a Ford Fiesta or Peugeot engine and relaunch it as the Shikara, but that never materialised.[2]
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", MeasuringWorth, retrieved 11 June 2022
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b Booij (2009), p. 108
- ^ a b Booij (2009), p. 109
- ^ Booij (2009), pp. 108–109
Bibliography[edit]
- Booij, Jeroen (2009), Maximum Mini: The Definitive Book of Cars Based on the Original Mini (ebook ed.), Veloce Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84584-154-6