Convair Coupe.
I've had an interest in the special-building pastime of the 50s and 60s for some time. Most home-built cars were built on Ford or Austin running gear (some examples of Ford specials can be seen here), but this one shown below is different. Bob kindly sent me all these photographs, featuring his MG TC-based Convair, which he purchased way way back and still owns now, despite now living in the US.
The photo above shows his Convair parked at the Brands Hatch racing circuit in 1966, still fitted with its hardtop roof and gullwing doors. Also note how the headlamps were not flush fitting, and how tight getting in and out must have been if you were a tall chap. This isn't the first time that Convair cars and bodyshells have featured on oldclassiccar, as in 2005, Angus dropped me a line, appealing for information on these cars, and any survivors that exist today - more about Convair cars can be found on this page.
Accompanying the photos, Bob adds about his car:
"I bought my coupe in London in 1946 and still have it, but I was told that 8 of them were made in all ... The car has a removable top with gull wing doors. I was told by the original owner that 8 of the bodies had been made, but unlike the info I just read in your article he said that they were made in Blackpool by Convair. Mine is on a 1946 MG TC chassis, with all TC parts and engine ... This was my transportation while in England 1967 to 1970, but I stopped
driving it in 1983. It has 8,000 miles on it. I lived in New Malden, Surrey at the time ... this photograph (the colour photo of the car when painted light blue) was taken at my flat on Nelson Road in New Malden Surrey, summer of 1969."
More photographs showing Bob's Convair can be seen below, click on any of the thumbnails to see larger versions.
Probably the most informative site about 50s specials is that set up by Rob Daniels, and he has some more info on Convairs there - the site appears to have changed hands in recent times, and can be seen at this link: here. A big thanks to Bob McGlothlin for scanning and emailing all these photos and background info to me. Another period photo of a Ford-based Convair special, can now be found on this page, in the photo section of the site.
More stories about your cars can be found in the Your Classics section.
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