I believe the Mararn has an interesting history. I was told that Bill Jongbloed (who made the wheels for the US Mantas) sold the moulds to Graham McRae who imported them into NZ but then sold them on. This is around the time the Lovettes stared using American Racing wheels on the Mantas instead so maybe there was a falling out....
Patrick, don't get me wrong, I admire what you are doing absolutely, but if you are using the list you have published I think you need to restate the position, that it has made it into mass production, or at least intended so.
You have a number of "one off" cars, many of the de Joux cars being examples.
Looking forward to the book.
Patrick there is a great song called I Did It my Way keep it up just remember I want a copy
I agree because this was the very reason for my previous post. Many of the cars listed could be argued to constitute no more than specials. Patrick I too certainly very much applaud your efforts, but you will have to be very careful if you are to avoid criticism after the book is published. You will no doubt be aware of another's previous book which gained negative comment. Shortening the scope would be to your advantage, otherwise where do you draw the line. As I see it, adequately covering the list you have outlined would be a near impossible task.
Thanks Jim
I now have access to it from another source. Namely TVNZ Archives. I shall come back to you if this falls through.
Originally Posted by jim short
Thanks for that. Another piece into the puzzel. Below is another of these as it is today.
The Mararn has a fascinating history and I was able to speak to David Harrod was originally asked to make the moulds for the Mararn before Graham was offered the opportunity to be a part of Paul Newmans racing team so he eventually sold the project to David. David put the car into production and it is a fascinating story. David made about 37 cars before the rights to build it were purchased by Kent Taylor-Reid of Auckland who sold a further 4 before selling the moulds to Bruce Turnbull. I met all of these men but have lost touch with Kent as he has moved.
No offence taken. I am very happy to be called to task as it will help the accuracy of the book. In the deJoux instance I was able to interview him about 5 months before he died and yes he did make a few one off cars. However with the cars I mentioned.
(de Joux) Buckler 1956 to 1962: About 6 cars were built
De Joux Special 1961 to 63: Also know as the ferrari 2 were built.
de Joux GT 1958 to 1960: 3 were built
Mini de Joux 1969-1972: 20 cars were built
The de Joux bodied Bucklers are well in excess of this number! In my possession is the upgraded Kelvin Brown book which lists the KNOWN ones, (and it does not have mine!) There were other bodies, but not many, on the Buckler chassis. Both NZ and english built chassis with a number of variants, ie Mk5/6, 90s, DD1, DD2, etc and quite a number of each. The real factory records were lost when Denis Marwood took over the company which later became Performance Developments. Kelvin, with Bruce Sutcliffe has collated much information. PM me if you want more detail. Reality would say, possibly the most prolific car before the Fraser/Chevron/T car/Leitch et al era
As Trevor says above, please don't let your book fall into the same trap as another NZ book, ie well meaning but falling down on the details.
Always a risk to fall down on the details and you are quite right in that more than 6 deJoux bodies were built. Below is my final paragraph in that chapter which should shed more light.
"Half a dozen bodies were built by Ferris and his friend Jack Innwood, a photographer, in an old single garage just down the road from his father’s home. Ferris still had to keep up his day job as a window designer and he and Jack would work well into the night making bodies under the dim light provided by a Tilly Lamp. However Ferris preferred car styling to car production and the Mk 1 moulds and rights were later sold to Bruce Sutcliffe who made another dozen or so bodies.
Bibliography:
Written with the help of Ferris de Joux, Kelvin Brown
The cars of Ferris de Joux by Alan Dick: Classic Driver Issue 24 2008, Pgs 56 to 60
Buckler History by Kelvin D. Brown: Chapters F and J "
You're right, sorry. It was a Manta body that was brought in, not a mould. I've had a Mararn and a Manta Mirage over the years...
Patrick, Like others I have gone through your list and wondered why some have been included and others excluded. I congratulate you on putting a book together covering so many makes and believe me there will always be someone to argue the point. All I can say is great effort and yes I will be buying a copy. My only disappointment is that of the cars you are featuring it was only the Acorn I hadnt heard off. Guess I have been around too long.
Graeme
I have a solution. Call the book volume 1....
I'll never be able to get enought of this type of book and these types of cars. I want to read about the notable one-offs as well. The Maximum Mini book and blog are great examples of how to collect and publish this type of information.
PM to Patrick and Paulie.
Graeme, you an even older fart than I, I even knew the Acorn, but missed on some others!
Patrick, good for you, what a massive effort this must have been, bringing this together. I wish you every success. My parents nearly bought one of those JBA sports cars several years ago. A salesman visited their house and they took a car for a test drive, but never actually bought a car. I think there was a stall set up at Manfield and my father took an interest from there.
Although Kevin's was the most well known of the De Joux GTs there were others such as Glen Morwood's Victor engine example he called the GTM. Patrick have you come across that one.
Thanks for that. Another piece into the puzzel. Below is another of these as it is today.
...I think I just Fell in Love!!!!!!!!!!!...No I'am sure I'am in love..just love the FC Holden head light surround/s,Patrick I'm another that will buy 'your' book,but only If you can tell me where in can get a body shell,...Shano, I totally agree with your comment ,body is 'Perfect',just love that 'up and over' on the front wheel arch,would like to see a 'rear shot' to see if they got that end as 'right' as the front is.......my only change would be the 'Bloody horrible 'slidding' sun roof......why do people buy an MGB/GT's and fit one of those atrocities,( go around a righthand cnr and your best girl gets a free shower while wearing her ''new' red dress,see how much fun that evening becomes,this 'IS' experience talking !!!),if you want a 'convertable,just buy an MGB!!!!!...........Patrick,thank you for opening this thread,never thought I would be 'lucky' enough to be in love in my 66th year, that lil Red car is Beautiful!!!!!.....I'm thinking 327 and muncie,Jag arse end, the 'chrome wires' can stay!!!....regards thunder427/Myles
It was a striking looking car way back then - we lived in the working class suburb of Puhinui and the car was something very different and attracted lots of attention.
Still a fabulous looking car and that one has been beautifully restored. Sorry about the thread hijack, I'll shut up now.
Loving the hijack! Here are a few pictures I took of Ferris's restored Mini GT prototype at the Domain hillclimb many years ago... Note his MG parked next to it in the first photo.
Last edited by Paul Wilkinson; 05-09-2012 at 08:41 PM.
My old blue bomb from years back..
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