Coachwork FLM Panelcraft

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Coachwork FLM Panelcraft was a British coachbuilder from London , which was founded in 1960 and was known for converting mainly British coupes and limousines into station wagons.

Company history

FLM Panelcraft founded by HS Fry, Robert Lee and W. McNally. The company name is derived from the first letters of the surname of the founders. Fry and Lee were former employees of the established James Young body shop ; further staff came from the body manufacturers Alpe & Saunders and Corsica . FLM Panelcraft's operating facilities were housed in the arches of the Battersea Bridge. The company existed until the late 1970s.

There was no relationship with the body construction company Panelcraft Sheet Metal , which had been based in Birmingham since 1941 .

Panelcraft creations

Rover P6 "Estoura" station wagon from FLM Panelcraft
A station wagon made by Panelcraft based on the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Mercedes-Benz / 8 station wagon by Crayford, manufactured by FLM Panelcraft
  • In 1966 Panelcraft manufactured three shooting brakes based on the Aston Martin DB6 and thus competed with Harold Radford Coachbuilders , where after a few DB5 shooting brakes, seven versions based on the DB6 were also created. The Panelcraft version differed from the Radford brakes mainly in the area of ​​the rear side windows.
  • In 1969 Panelcraft created a one-off shooting brake based on the Aston Martin DBS .
  • From 1969 Panelcraft built a station wagon version of the Rover P6 called Estoura , which was developed together with the bodywork companies Crayford , HR Owen and Hurst Park Motors. Panelcraft made the sheets and installed the combi roof; the other bodyworks involved took over the completion of the cars, namely the manufacture of the interior and the finish. A total of around 170 Estoura station wagons had been produced by 1972.
  • Panelcraft converted at least one Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud into a Sedanca de Ville . The front, the roof in the area of ​​the C-pillar and the housings of the taillights were also modified. The car had double headlights mounted vertically one above the other, which were set back in a common platform.
  • Since the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was introduced , Panelcraft has developed various conversion versions; they also included a station wagon. The earliest car shown in published images dates from 1966. It was shipped to Massachusetts , USA . The last order was carried out in 1973. Vehicles of the type of the 1977 Silver Shadow II, however, were no longer converted into station wagons by Panelcraft. In the 1990s, various American companies produced station wagons based on Silver Shadow models; however, they had nothing to do with the Panelcraft constructions.
  • In the 1970s, Panelcraft manufactured the Mercedes-Benz / 8 station wagon on behalf of Crayford . The number of converted vehicles is not known and is estimated at between 200 and 400.
  • Finally Panelcraft developed some special hunting vehicles based on the Range Rover , which were mainly sold in the Arab world.

literature

  • Estate Agents. Exploring the unorthodox world of the Aston Martin Shooting Brakes and its makers . Presentation of the Panelcraft company in: Classic & Sports Car 3/2002 (engl.)
  • Dalton, Lawrence: Rolls Royce - The Elegance Continues ; Dalton-Watson Ltd., Publishers, London, England, ISBN 0-901564-05-2 , p. 270 (English)