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Parent Category: Motor car History

Category: Britain

Rickman Kit cars History.

Automotive manufacturer from New Milton,Hampshire;United Kingdom 1977 to 1992.

Rickman is a former British manufacturer of motorcycles and automobiles. The company initially manufactured high-quality motorcycle frames, which were completed by the customers in-house using components from other manufacturers.  In addition, Rickman also built kits for Kit Cars 

History

Rickman began producing plastic bodywork for automobiles. Initially, Rickman was merely a subcontractor or contractor for other manufacturers such as Eagle Cars. Rickman finally began in the late 1970s, kit cars which were favoured in the UK for tax purposes. By 1993, more than 1,000 kits were created. Mostly as was off-road style vehicles, and sports cars.

In 1990, the Rickman brothers sold their company to FVS International, Rickman brothers later bought back the rights to the company's products and continued the production from 1991 to 1993 under the name Rickman Developments. By the end of 1993, the Birmingham-based Lomax Motor Company took over the operation, which used the name Rickman until 1999. 

Since 1985, Rickman made kits for various automobiles, which were marketed under their own name. They were each designed to use Ford components. Rickman's model range included:

• Rickman Ranger: a four-seat SUV with plastic body in red white or blue. The car used the mechanics and drive technology of the Ford Escort mk1 and mk2. By 1999, about 900 copies of the Ranger as saloon van or convertible body Standard kit consists of body, chassis, roll bar, bonnet, decal set, all doors and glass fitted and fibreglass bumper covers, dashboard, nuts, bolts and bracket set .
• Rickman Space Ranger: an extended version of the Ranger, which was produced in 90 copies.
• Rickman Rancher: designed as a camper version of the Space Ranger, whose construction was increased in the rear area. From him Rickman made about 250 vehicles.
• Rickman Métisse: , a four-seat sports coupe with hatchback, which used the mechanics of the Ford Sierra. Initially marketed as Rickman, in 1995 an independent producer acquired the rights to the design. From 1995 to 2007, it was then produced in Welsh Bridgend by Metisse Cars. A total of about 20 copies of the coupe. A pick-up version with open cargo area was produced twice in 2005.

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Parent Category: Motor car History

Category: Britain

O & C Products Kit cars

 Automotive manufacturer from Peterborough United Kingdom 1984 to 1989.

O & C Products was a British manufacturer of kit cars from the 1980s.The brand name was O & C .

History

 O & C stood for owners Oldham and Crowther.  Ruth Oldham and Martin Crowther founded the company in 1984 in Peterborough. They started with the production of cars as kits. 

The first model was the sport. This was the replica of the Lotus Seven. The choice was four-cylinder engines from Morris Minor, Morris Marina, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Carina. Between 1984 and 1988 created about 17 vehicles. 

The sprint was the bestselling model. This found between 1984 and 1988 about 110 buyers. The open body looked like a mix of Lotus Seven and a traditional roadster. The super sport was derived from sport. A Rover V8 engine fitted to the vehicles. Between 1985 and 1988 created about eight copies. 

The Sonnet was a variant of the sport with a more aggressive appearance. This had about five buyers between 1985 and 1988. The Thruxton appeared in 1985 and remained until 1988 on offer. It was an open-top racing sports car, of which only a single copy was made. The Serac of 1988 remained a unique piece. The last model was the Serac SS from 1989. Also, this coupe with engine from Toyota remained a prototype^.

1989 ended production. In total, about 143 copies were created  

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Parent Category: Motor car History

Category: Britain

Parker Motor Company

 Car manufacturer of Wolverhampton. Great Britain from 1901 to 1902.

Parker Motor Company was an early British manufacturer of automobiles in the early part of the 20th century. The brand name was Parker. 

History

Thomas Hugh Parker designed a number of prototype cars with even 4-wheel steering (above picture)for the Electric Construction Co had already manufactured in 1897 an electric car called Bushbury Electric Cart. Although he was employed by the Wearwell Motor Carriage Company, he founded his own company in Wolverhampton in 1901 for the production of automobiles. Parker used used parts from the Star Cycle Company. From 1901 steam cars were built. They had a two-cylinder - steam engine with 10 hp power. The engine was mounted in the front of the vehicle and propelled the rear axle via a cardan shaft. Externally, the vehicles resembled the models of the Daimler Motor Company.

In 1902 the production ended. He later worked in 1907 at the Sedan Automobile Syndicate Ltd. The company produced a unique articulated car. 

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Parent Category: Motor car History

Category: Britain

Pilbeam Racing Designs

Pilbeam Racing Designs is a British manufacturer of race cars that has been based in Bourne Lincolnshire UK since 1975. Founder was Mike Pilbeam .

History

Pilbeam worked for different Formula One teams before launching his company. He worked for BRM in Bourne as a designer, where he created the BRM P201. From 1964, he was also involved in the development of the BRM P67. The Lotus 7X Clubman was also designed by Pilbeam. In 1977, he also designed the LEC Formula 1, which David Purley drove.

Pilbeam cars have always been particularly successful in mountain races, which dominated them in the 1980s and early 1990s. 17 victors of the British mountain race championships from 1977 to 1996.

The company also produced racing cars for circuits. First, they worked on the Pacific Racing BRM-P301 project in 1997, then they announced a car of their own design at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Pilbeam MP84 was a British Carbon fibre racing car and Le Mans prototype of racing car with a Nissan V6 engine which was developed in 1998 and competed in 1999 for the first time in a race. Pilbeam Racing produced the vehicle until 2006.The MP84 was the successor to the MP83. The vehicle was registered as a FIA World Sportscar and drove as an LMP-1 vehicle.

In addition, several touring cars have been designed for manufacturers such as Vauxhall or Honda. Today, Pilbeam sees its market mainly in the LMP2 class. The only team to drive an MP93 is Pierre Bruneau, who scored three podium finishes in her 2006 Le Mans 2006 model Judd XV675 engine. On October 19, 2006.