makers?

[martinpcraven]

Hi Bootsy - I hadnt spotted the date - amazing how time flies when you are having FUN!!

Just to bring you a little variety in your "Speedster" life, Classic Roadsters are also importing the 356 Speedster Cabriolet, "standard" Speedster, [initially as kits only], and as it already appears to have been leaked - the 550A Spyder!! [kit, rolling body/chassis, turnkey].With all due "respect" [meant sincerely] to the recently announced 550 from the USA - ours will be a tad cheaper at around £19K for a turnkey and £5K for a comprehensive kit!

This has all pre-empted the official launch at the end of this month - but no matter, I don't actually want to keep it a secret forever! I will be quite happy to furnish anyone with details / photos - but don't want to abuse my position as a club member.

As a matter of interest to owners of the real thing [and those building "other" replicas], I will also be importing quality accessories [repro], including Leitz style luggage racks in stainless steel. Details will be available shortly and the website is due to go live in early March

Keep them hairs flowing!!!

Martin Craven
Principal - Classic Roadsters

[Bootsy]

No need to worry about abusing your position Martin, pen me a couple of sides of a Word document, furnish me with some pictures and it will make an interesting story and a bit of free publicity in our next fanzine due out March/April

[keefy]

mines a apal manufactured in belgium,regarded as the original rep very hard to tell the differance from the original, externally! leather seats vdo instruments ect.ect.

[keefy]

helen you have seen it briefly at show in cheshire,last year
and hopefully in the lakes soon, if you want more info on makers
drop me a line,if you thinking of getting one,remember the t i p e c.
and p c g b may not like it!!!!

[martinpcraven]

Hi Bootsy, many thanks for your very kind offer, I will of course be more than happy to send you a full Media Launch pack in due course [ imminent]. It will also include details of my connection with Mohr Innovationen, just to let people know that customers are dealing with a major manufacturing Group.

I have put a posting on the 550 thread as well - as I have already had some considerable interest in that model, and I think it is important to show the "roots" of the various projects.

Whilst on the subject of "roots" - I hate to be a "know-all" - but I should point out to Keefy that his APAL replica was in fact not the "original" but splashed from THE originator of the genre - Frank Reisner, once of California, now resident in Canada. He supplied kits to APAL and also at the same time [ 1980 ] to a little known company in Sweden. The upshot of that was that BOTH companies ended up "splashing" the moulds. Now it gets interesting - in 1981 the Swedish company approached "Classic Reproductions" in Tamworth to make the kits, that company became Sheldonhurst and then THAT company liaised with D.J.Sportscars to manufacture the kits - DJ making the GRP, Sheldonhurst the Steelwork.

Then along came Mohr Innovationen [ 1982 ] and took on the European distribution for the Speedster from Sheldonhurst [ also a Cobra + others ] AND started their own line of development. When Sheldonhurst ceased manufacture, ONE set of Moulds was sold to Street Beetle [ who also temporarily got the "California" moulds in error ], and by this time Mohr had their own moulds / jigs and continued to develop the Speedster in Germany. Of course we all know [ well documented ] where the Street Beetle moulds ended up, together with the "California" moulds after again being erromeously passed but were eventually reclaimed. Oh yes, Mohr also supplied 2 companies in France and one in Spain with the Sheldonhurst product, one being PGO [ originally based in Mulhouse and then Bordeaux].

It's fairly safe to say that all traditional Speedster kits emanated from those original Riesner kits [ thanks Frank ] - And what a bitter man HE is - accusing EVERYONE of ripping off HIS design [ has he ever heard of a guy called "Porsche"?]. I spoke at some length with him, and he really is not a happy "lapin". While going through all Mohr's archives on my last visit, it's amazing to see all the foregoing documented with press clippings and period photos.

I also heard recently that one manufacturer even claimed that "His" moulds were taken from an "Original aluminium bodied car" !! Can't understand why he'd take a mould off the "#1" car [ and presumably have to get permisison to take it out of the museum ] and then have to change it all to look like a Speedster.Ah well, it's an incestuous business this GRP stuff.

So Keefy, your APAL in fact started out life as an Intermeccanica - as did ALL subsequent "splashes" - oh yes, except the Classic Roadsters "Roadster T6", which uses a completely diferent body style and steel subframe! Just to stay as " one of the boys" - I will also market the "traditional" Speedster kit [ kit only ],and a Mohr developed 356 Cabriolet [ again - traditional kit only ].

I hope that sets the record somewhat straighter - at the end of the day unless it's a Manufactured Turnkey car, it really makes NO difference as it's the input of the individual that makes this hobby so interesting and diverse.

[Bootsy]

Interesting stuff Martin.