NZ Cars - A Cottage Industry

[GeebeeNZ]

Patrick. I owned the Ibis 7 a few years ago. At that stage it was powered by a Datsun 1200 and box but the rest was definitely Viva. Although it was really the Chevron Prototype the next car was built by Evan Fray and became Chevron number 1. Sadly when I sold the Ibis 7 it went with its new owner to the sunny part of Australia, it was either Queensland or Brisbane. Ian Byrd then went on to build the Mini powered Berkeley which he also called the Ibis. Someone once told me the first car was called Ibis after the bird which he believed ate Lotus flowers. i.e. Ibis eats Lotus. However I have never had that confirmed by Ian Byrd
Graeme Banks

[Binzy1]

Someone once told me the first car was called Ibis after the bird which he believed ate Lotus flowers. i.e. Ibis eats Lotus.

That's not unlike the story of why the De Tomaso Mangusta was so called....Mangusta = Mongoose & the Mongoose eats snakes--a.k.a. the Cobra!!!

[Tamarillo]

The first Chevrons had fibreglass made by me and Ian - we made some to repay his kindness for use of his space in his loft!

You are right that they were based on Viva suspension too.

Tim Monck-Mason

Patrick. I owned the Ibis 7 a few years ago. At that stage it was powered by a Datsun 1200 and box but the rest was definitely Viva. Although it was really the Chevron Prototype the next car was built by Evan Fray and became Chevron number 1. Sadly when I sold the Ibis 7 it went with its new owner to the sunny part of Australia, it was either Queensland or Brisbane. Ian Byrd then went on to build the Mini powered Berkeley which he also called the Ibis. Someone once told me the first car was called Ibis after the bird which he believed ate Lotus flowers. i.e. Ibis eats Lotus. However I have never had that confirmed by Ian Byrd
Graeme Banks