The cars (nearly) everyone forgot about

In the second in our a series, we look at cars that history totally overlooked

by Richard Dredge

9 December 2020

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Of these cars that failed to make their mark, how many do you remember?

We reckon there's something inherently interesting - and often more than an air of tragedy - about cars time forgot. And if you haven't forgotten these, consider yourself a top-class motoring anorak:
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Excalibur (1963)

Inspired by the Mercedes SSK of the 1920, Brooks Stevens (1911-1995) founded Excalibur in 1963, having designed a neo-classic luxury car for Studebaker to manufacture. When Studebaker showed him the door he put the car into production himself, initially with a Studebaker V8 but with Chevrolet V8 power from 1964. Offered in a range of bodystyles, around 3500 Excaliburs were made before the company closed in 1990.
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Morgan Plus Four Plus (1964)

The Plus Four Plus was Morgan's attempt at modernising, way back in 1964. Although the Plus 4's chassis and running gear was used wholesale, which meant a Triumph TR4A 2138cc four-pot was under the bonnet, there was an all-new glassfibre bodyshell. Light and aerodynamic, the Plus Four Plus was quick but too radical for Morgan buyers, and just 26 were made between 1964 and 1967.
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AC 428 (1965)

The AC Cobra 427 is one of the hairiest, most unruly cars ever made, so using it as the basis for a genteel grand tourer wasn't the most obvious thing to do. The 428 was designed by Italian coachbuilder Frua which also built the bodyshells before they were shipped to the UK for the powertrain and trim to be fitted by AC. Both coupé and convertible editions were offered, but just 81 cars in all were made between 1965 and 1973.
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Ligier JS2 (1970)

Founded by racing driver Guy Ligier (1930-2015) in 1968, and now best known for its microcars, French car maker Ligier has produced a string of racing and sports cars over the years. The first was the JS1 of 1969, of which just three were made, and one survives. The JS2 prototype that followed in 1970 was powered by a 2.6-litre Ford V6; a year later, the production car was shown, now powered by a 2.7-litre V6 from the Citroen SM. Around 350 JS2s were made by the time production was wound up in 1975.
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Bitter CD (1971)

Erich Bitter set up shop in 1971, to build the CD sports coupé which had been shown in prototype form by Opel two years earlier. Although Opel designed the car, it commissioned Frua to evolve the design, then Erich Bitter engaged coachbuilder Baur to make the cars for him. Although Bitter hoped to make 200 cars per year, the 1973 oil crisis scuppered those plans, and in the end just 395 CDs were made between 1973 and 1979.
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Saab 600 (1980)

Sold only in Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden, the Saab 600 was a badge-engineered Lancia Delta that came only in 1.5-litre petrol-engined form. Buyers could choose between three trim levels (GL, GLS, GLE), but just a handful were sold and it's not known whether or not any survive. Anybody out there know of one?
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Stevens Cipher (1980)

Making its debut at the 1980 British motor show at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, the Stevens Cipher was the brainchild of Tony Stevens, who wanted to offer an alternative to the MG Midget and Triumph Spitfire, both of which were ageing and soon to be axed. His prototypes got rave reviews, but securing finance proved to be a major stumbling block, and as with so many promising projects, the Stevens Cipher bit the dust.
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Zimmer Quicksilver (1984)

Paul Zimmer set up the Zimmer Motorcars Corporation in 1978, to build luxury cars. His first model was the neo-classic Golden Spirit, but in 1984 the Pontiac Fiero-based Quicksilver came along. Each second-hand Fiero chassis was stretched by 16 inches, on to which a glassfibre bodyshell was bolted, while the interior was spruced up with leather and wood. Production ran until 1988.
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Autech Stelvio (1990)

Zagato has been responsible for some pretty challenging car designs over the years, but the Stelvio must rank as one of the ugliest. The project wasn't Zagato's though; it was a product of Nissan's Autech division and was based on a Leopard, otherwise known as the Infiniti M30. Those curious looks stem from the wing mirrors which are 'blended' into the bonnet, under which is a 276bhp 3.0-litre V6 that drove the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. Autech somehow sold 104 examples of them.
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Ginetta G33 (1991)

Founded in 1958, Ginetta offered a wide range of plastic-bodied sports cars, with one of the most enticing being the G33 that arrived in 1991. Curvy, lightweight and powerful, motive power was courtesy of a 3.9-litre Rover V8 mounted up front. The car went down a storm with the press, but the price was too high and in 1992 Ginetta went bust with just a handful of G33s built.
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Autozam AZ-1 (1992)

Also sold as the Suzuki Cara, the Autozam AZ-1 was a Mazda product, which is why there was also a version called the Mazda AZ-550. Designed to comply with Japan's kei-car rules, the AZ-1 featured a mid-mounted 657cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine made by Suzuki, which introduced its Cara in 1993. Production of all types was wound up in 1993 after almost 5000 cars had been made.
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Lancia Hyena (1992)

Launched at the 1992 Brussels Auto Show and based on the Delta HF Integrale Evo I, the Lancia Hyena was the brainchild of classic car collector Paul Koot. He commissioned Zagato to reclothe the Integrale and the plan was to produce up to 500 Hyenas. But when Fiat/Lancia said it wasn't prepared to supply Koot with donor cars or parts, he had to buy used Integrales and get them rebodied, pushing up the cost. As a result just 24 were made in 1992 and 1993.
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Panoz Roadster (1992)

The TMC Costin was produced in Ireland in the 1980s using four-cylinder Ford engines, but when American company Panoz bought the project, it turned up the wick considerably by fitting a 5.0-litre V8, also from Ford. At first the Roadster featured a steel chassis, but this was switched to aluminium in 1996 with the arrival of the AIV (Aluminium Intensive Vehicle), with a 4.6-litre V8. By the time production ended in 1999, 44 Roadsters had been built along with 176 AIVs.
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Caterham C21 (1994)

You could be forgiven for thinking that Caterham has only ever offered its back-to-basics Seven, but in 1994 it unveiled the 21. Intended to be a more usable sports car for the nineties, power came from a 1.6-litre Rover K-Series engine, while the aluminium body was both sleek and light. The 21 finally entered production in 1996 but unfortunately for Caterham, Lotus also unveiled the Elise in that year, which is why just 48 examples of the 21 were built between 1996 and 1999.
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Daimler Corsica (1996)

When Daimler celebrated its centenary in 1996 it decided to do in style; by slicing the roof off an X300 saloon. The job was a bit more complicated than this though as the car also had to be shortened by 150mm to get the right proportions. When unveiled the car wasn't driveable, but a decade later the Corsica was turned into a runner with the fitment of a 4.0-litre straight-six.
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Noble M10 (1999)

Noble is perhaps best known for its M12, although the M600 is still in production. What kicked things off for the brand though, was the M10, which arrived in 1999 and featured a 168bhp 2.5-litre Duratec V6. It looked awkward and was great to drive, but just half a dozen were made before the M12 took over.
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TommyKaira ZZ (1999)

The Lotus Elise-alike second-generation Tommykaira ZZ is still in production, having been launched in 2014. But this is the original, which made its debut as long ago as 1996. Best known for tuning Nissans and Subarus, Tommykaira turned its hand to car production with a lightweight two-seater powered by a 190bhp Nissan 2.0-litre four-pot. By the time production ended in 2000, around 200 first-generation ZZs had been built.
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Vemac RD180 (2000)

When the Vemac RD180 burst on to the scene it was a breath of fresh air. Powered by a Honda 1.8-litre VTEC engine from the Integra Type R, this British product that was created largely for the Japanese market was as good to look at as it was to drive. Later would come the RD200 with a 2.0 Civic Type R powerplant, but once again, sales were aimed generally at the Japanese market.
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Trident Iceni (2008)

In theory the Trident Iceni is still available, but bearing in mind the car was unveiled in 2008 (as a follow-up to a still-born car launched in 1991), and no customer cars have yet been delivered, we're not holding our breath. The Iceni was launched with a 660bhp 6.6-litre diesel-powered engine which was claimed to be the world's most efficient, but as nobody has been able to put this to the test, it's rather hard to say…
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Gibbs Humdinga (2012)

The amphibious Gibbs Aquada is relatively well known, but the Humdinga that followed is much lower profile. Seven metres long and available in three-, six- and nine-seater configurations, the Humdinga is claimed to be capable of highway speeds on land and speeds in excess of 30mph on water, courtesy of its 370bhp diesel V8.
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Goliath GP700 (1950)

Despite being blessed with a mere two-cylinder two-stroke 688cc engine, the GP700 was highly innovative with front-wheel drive, full-width styling and from 1952 there was even fuel injection, a production car first.
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Volvo P1900 (1956)

No, that's not a typo. Before the P1800 came the P1900 but just 68 were made. It was a glassfibre-bodied open-topped sportscar, inspired by the plastic Chevrolet Corvette.
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Fiat Dino (1967)

Fiat's Dino used the same 2.0 or 2.4-litre V6 engines as Ferrari's car of the same name. all came with left-hand drive with Pininfarina responsible for styling the spyder edition while Bertone designed the coupé (pictured).
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Iso Lele (1969)

Italian firm Iso started out building the Isetta bubble car. BMW bought the rights to this, leaving Iso to make big, costly V8-engined luxury cars such as the Lele, 317 of which were made.
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Lamborghini Jarama (1970)

Effectively a cut-down edition of Lamborghini's Espada, the Jarama featured the same 3929cc V12 up front, 2+2 seating and 350-385bhp. In three years, 327 were made between 1969 and 1974.
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De Tomaso Longchamps (1972)

A short-wheelbase edition of the Jaguar XJ-esque Deauville, the Longchamp featured a 330bhp 5.8-litre V8. Offered as a coupé or convertible, 302 were produced in all.
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Citroen LN (1976)

Nothing more than a rebadged Peugeot 104 with a 2CV engine, the LN was remarkably unremarkable; it was sold only in its home market. But UK consumers were able to buy the LN’s successor, the four-cylinder LNA with Pug 104 power. Few did though.
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Dacia Denem (1982)

Romanian car maker Dacia reckoned the Renault 12 was cutting-edge in the early 1980s, so it jumped at the chance to produce its own version. But when the marque was introduced to the UK, buyers steered clear.
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Alfa Romeo 90 (1984)

Alfa Romeo has made some odd decisions over the years, but this must rate as one of the barmiest. It sat between the equally forgettable Alfetta and disastrous Six and even for a 1980s Alfa Romeo it was unbelievably badly built.
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Monteverdi 375 (1967)

Swiss BMW importer Peter Monteverdi moved into building ultra-exclusive exotica in 1967; over the next decade there would be a string of Chrysler-engined specials including the splendid 7.0-litre 375L High Speed pictured here.
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Marauder (1950)

George Mackie and Peter Wilks left the Rover Car Company to build their own sportscar in conjunction with Spen King; the Rover P4-based Marauder was the result. All of 15 were made though.
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Peerless GT (1958)

Later revived as the Warwick, the Peerless used Triumph TR3 mechanicals and a bespoke tubular steel chassis. Around 300 of these four-seater coupés were produced in 1958 before Peerless disappeared.
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Elva Courier (1958)

Taking its name from the French for 'she goes' (elle va), the Courier was Elva's most successful model. Around 400 examples were made between 1958 and 1961, most powered by an MGA or MGB engine.
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Rochdale Olympic (1960)

Rochdale built its first glassfibre cars in 1952, with the incredibly aerodynamic Olympic appearing in 1960. Early cars featured Riley 1.5 engines; from 1962 there was 1.5-litre Cortina power. And yes, Rochdale did come from Rochdale in Greater Manchester.
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Reliant Sabre (1961)

Initially offered with Ford Consul four-cylinder power before a change to a six-pot Zodiac unit in 1962, the Sabre was originally developed for Israeli company Autocars. It was produced in both coupé and convertible forms.
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Trident Clipper (1967)

Starting out as a TVR at the 1965 Geneva motor show, the Trident went into production independently and lasted a decade – although just 200 or so were made in all.
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Gilbern Invader (1969)

The only car company to be based in Wales so far, Gilbern set up shop in 1959 and built over 1000 cars in all, including around 600 of this final model, with Ford V6 power.
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Ford GT70 (1970)

While the GT40 quickly became an icon, its successor, the V6 mid-engined GT70, didn't take long to fade into obscurity. It was built by Ford of Britain for rallying, but never got that far, and just six were made.
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Marcos Mantis (1970)

Marcos was renowned for its curvy cars, so the angular Mantis came as rather a shock to the system when it was unveiled. Power was from a Triumph 2.5-litre engine and just 32 were made.
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Monica 560 (1972)

Intended to compete with Bristol, the Monica was a French confection that featured Chrysler V8 power. Finally bought by Panther, the car never really made production, although 35 or so were made.
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Scorpion Coupe (1973)

Like the Clan Crusader, the Scorpion had a rear-mounted Hillman Imp 998cc engine and was killed off by the energy crisis. With its neat glassfibre bodyshell it promised so much.
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Lonsdale Saloon and estate (1983)

Mitsubishi set up a factory in Australia to build these rebadged Sigmas for the UK, with a choice of 1.5, 2.0 or 2.6-litre engines. Hardly any were sold here, unsurprisingly.
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Evante 140TC (1986)

Lincolnshire-based Vegantune had been restoring and tuning Lotus Elans for years; this was the company’s own interpretation of the Hethel Classic, with Ford-based 1.7 or 1.8-litre twin-cam engines.
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Sao Penza (1991)

Take one defunct Mazda 323, rebrand it and what do you have? Answer: a Sao's ear, or more accurately, a Sao Penza. Sao was an offshoot of the South African Motor Corporation (SAMCOR) but in less than two years the Penza had been withdrawn from UK sale.
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Asia Rocsta (1994)

Unveiled in 1990 but sold in the UK only between 1994 and 1998, this poorly made 4x4 wasn't Kia's finest hour. That’s because it was Kia which sold the car on behalf of Asia, which turned out to be a bad move…
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Keinath GT (1996)

Looking like an early Seventies Opel GT drop-top, the Keinath featured a 3.0-litre six-pot Senator engine and a folding hard top before they became popular elsewhere.
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Strathcarron SC-5A (2000)

First seen in prototype form in 1996, the production SC-5A was ready in 2000. But type approval changes quickly ruled the car illegal, which is why just 20 were produced.

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