Gilbern T11
| Gilbern | |
|---|---|
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Gilbern T11 |
|
| T11 | |
| Presentation year: | 1970 |
| Vehicle fair: | |
| Class : | Sports car |
| Body shape : | Coupe |
| Engine: |
Otto engine : 1.5 liters (55 kW) |
| Length: | 4877 mm |
| Width: | 1727 mm |
| Height: | 965 mm |
| Empty weight: | 875 kg |
| Production model: | none |
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The Gilbern T11 is a car that has remained a one-off.
origin
Gilbern from Wales had made sporty vehicles since 1959. They were initially only available as kit cars . They had front engine and rear wheel drive. In 1969 work began on a special vehicle. A special feature was the mid-engine . The vehicle was to be presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971 . In June 1971 the project was abandoned. As far as is known, three or four chassis were built back then , but only one vehicle that was not ready to drive.
description
The coupe is remarkably flat. Jimmy English from Gilbern designed the body. Occasionally Trevor Fiore is mentioned as a designer . Fiore himself states that he only provided the basic formal impulses for the body. Some details such as the flat roof line, the concave front hood and an undivided empty space at the rear did not get his approval. The closed body is made of plastic and offers space for two people. The front headlights are behind a cover. The taillights come from the Morris 1800 . The sliding windows in the doors are striking .
A tubular space frame forms the basis. The wheels are individually suspended from double triangular wishbones . A rack and pinion steering is used for steering .
A six-cylinder engine from the British Leyland Motor Corporation was planned as the drive . However, British Leyland did not deliver. Therefore used Gilbern a four-cylinder engine from the Austin Maxi 1500 cc engine capacity . The engine was mounted transversely behind the seats and drove the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox.
Since the planned series production failed due to financial resources, the vehicle was stored and only poorly protected against deterioration.
revival
Gordon Johnston bought the wreck for £ 1,000 and began rebuilding in 2000. He made many parts from scratch. This included a new body, for which he was able to find the original form from Gilbern, but also doors, hoods, parts of the wheel suspension, the steering column, pedals, the electrics, the drive shafts and the windows. In 2010 the vehicle was ready and was presented at the 50th anniversary of the Gilbern meeting that year.
The engine was destroyed in an accident in May 2011. Johnston installed a four-cylinder engine from the Toyota MR2 instead . The engine has two overhead camshafts and 16 valves . 86 mm bore and 86 mm stroke result in 1998 cc displacement. The engine has an output of 127 kW (175 hp ). This enables a top speed of 220 km / h.
literature
- Klaus Rosshuber, James Elliott: Late work. In: Auto Zeitung Classic Cars, issue 5/2015, pp. 132–135.
Web links
- Heath Scotchford: Prototype re-building the Gilbern T11: Interview from February 7, 2013. (accessed January 20, 2018)
Individual evidence
- ↑ George Nicholas Georgano (Ed.): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile . Volume 2: G-O . Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , pp. 621-622 (English).
- ↑ a b Video Feature: The Wedge from Wales - The Gilbern T11 Prototype from October 2, 2015. (English, accessed January 20, 2018)
- ↑ Gilbern Owners Club (accessed January 20, 2018)
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Klaus Rosshuber, James Elliott: Spätes Werk. In: Auto Zeitung Classic Cars, issue 5/2015, pp. 132–135.
- ↑ Restoration of the Gilbern T11 Prototype from February 2013 (accessed January 20, 2018)
