Ashley Laminates

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emblem
Ashley 750
interior
engine
Ashley Sportiva

Ashley Laminates was a British body, chassis and kit car manufacturer operating in Loughton, Essex , Potteries ( Epping Forest (Essex) ) and Bushfair ( Harlow (Essex) ) from 1955 to 1962 . He also offered a range of automotive supply parts such as radiators, tanks, lighting systems, steel frame tubes, aluminum sheets, various parts for the wheel suspension, water pumps, tires, tubes and wheels for small series manufacturers. The company also produced hoods and hardtops for various large-scale production vehicles such as the Austin-Healey Sprite and the Jaguar E-Type .

history

Ashley Laminates was founded in 1955 by Peter Pellandine and Keith Waddington . The company's founders chose the name Ashley because that was the name of Peter Pellandine's house in Woodford Green. In a garage near the Robin Hood Inn in Loughton, they set up a small factory that made car bodies. The body of the first car was made from GRP . Today there is a parking lot in place of the garage.

At the end of 1956, Pellandine left the company to found Falcon Shells , another small series manufacturer. Pellandine retained the rights and tools for the short-wheelbase Ashley 750 and the Ashley Sports Racer , which subsequently became the Falcon Mk. I and Falcon Mk. II models .

In 1958, Ashley Laminates moved to Potteries in Epping Forest because there was more manufacturing space available. The salesroom stayed in Loughton. A new body was also introduced, the Ashley 1172 and the Regent chassis. In 1960 Ashley Sportiva came out .

In 1961 the company moved again, to Bushfair near Harlow, but the following year the construction of car bodies was stopped because the market situation for small series vehicles had deteriorated significantly as a result of the changed VAT regulations. The company continued to produce hardtops and bonnets made of GRP for sports cars.

Advertising literature from 1963 shows that the company had renamed itself Ashley Auto Improvements and had relocated again, this time to Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire .

Although Keith Waddington died in the mid-1960s, the company continued to operate until 1972.

Models

Ashley 750

It was based on the short chassis (wheelbase: 1905 mm) of the Austin 7 with its 747 cc engine (hence the name). Later there was also a version with a long wheelbase (2057 mm). The price was the same for both models: £ 78 for the body and £ 25 for the hardtop. The early hardtops had double doors, but none of them are believed to have survived to this day. When Pallandine left the company, he took the rights to build the short version with him, while Ashley continued to build the long version.

Ashley Sports Racer

It was introduced shortly after the 750, cost £ 90 and was available in wheelbases between 2108mm and 2210mm. As the name suggests, this body was intended for racing rather than everyday use. It could be mounted on an Elva chassis. A number of contemporary racing vehicles were also equipped with it.

Ashley 1172

It came out in August 1958 and was originally a roadster with a removable hard top. It was placed on the chassis of the Ford models 8 hp and 10 hp with 2286 mm wheelbase, which were equipped with the 1172 cm³ engine (hence the name). The Regent chassis was offered as an alternative base for the body. At the beginning of 1959 there was a coupé and from January 1960 there was also an 1172, which fitted on the ladder-frame chassis of the Ford Prefect with a 2388 mm wheelbase. The roadster bodies cost £ 105 while the coupes went for £ 160.

Ashley Sportiva

It was manufactured from November 1960 and was initially an 1172 with a modified front. It was available as a pure body or with an Ashley chassis. It was available as a convertible or a coupé, with two or four seats. Later Sportivas had a revised rear with a trunk lid and a longer wheelbase of 2438 mm to fit the new Mark 6 chassis. The coupe body cost £ 182.

literature

  • Jasper Wilkins: British Specialist Cars Volume 1: A Collection of 60 Unique Sports Cars . (1977)
  • Bob Rolofson: 1960 Sportscar Specials . (1960)

Web links

Commons : Ashley Laminates  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Photo and description of the Ashley Sportiva ( Memento from June 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English)