javier romagosa
TEXT: JAVIER ROMAGOSA / PHOTO AND VIDEO: ENGINE MANAGE Y KUKFILMS
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Gilbern it was the only manufacturer to operate in Wales, UK, after World War II. A small brand that produced fewer than 1.000 cars between 1959 and 1974 and was founded by GILes Smith, promoter and entrepreneur, and BERNard Friese, a former German POW designer. His first model was the GT.
Although the Gilbern GT initially used the mechanical elements of the BMC A, in 1962 it began to use components of the M.G.B. On the aesthetic front, Friese wisely opted for the Pininfarina-designed Austin A40 rear wings to shape a 2 + 2 fastback body that pre-dated the MGB GT, launched years later. In fact, the car always seemed a product of a larger company, with traces of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint of Bertone and, why not, of the Aston-Martin DB4. In addition, being made of fiberglass, it weighed less and had better than the MGB from which it was derived. This made it especially useful in competition.
Regarding the frame, the tubular chassis designed by the German incorporated rear leaf springs and oscillating arms in order to better accommodate the rear axle. Actually, the little coupe was sophisticated for its time and it was quite well received by the press, especially by the British. Well built, with excellent quality fiber, around 70% of the 202 units produced between 1959 and 1966 have survived, although it is true that the chassis was somewhat weak, being prone to corrosion in humid climates and to the fracture of certain points due to design flaws.
Of the 202 copies mentioned above, the vast majority were sold in the UK and are therefore right-hand drive. The typical buyer was passionate about motorsports looking for something affordable, sporty and different, that could also accommodate two churumbeles In the back. The GT was supplied in boxes, in kit form, something very English that implied a strong saving of money and also the need to assemble it on its own in a garage or workshop.
Ride your car, definitely the 60's deserved to be lived ...
Gilbern He did not give foreign buyers the opportunity to have such a magical experience, who received his little one-piece sports car. The specimen that you see in the images was originally sold in Spain together with a little brother who, according to the Gilbert Owners Club (GOC), they are the only GT with left hand drive that survive in Europe. In America there are 5 others, so it is not easy to see or taste one.
Compared to its relative, which is currently in shambles, the coupe we bring to these pages today has had a much easier life. Registered in Madrid in 1966, it has since traveled around 80.000 kilometers in the service of four careful owners. Therefore, its state of conservation it is truly enviable.
However, when its last owner acquired it in 2017, he had to carry out some repairs that would allow the GT to perform as in its best days. The works, carried out in the Marcos Workshop of Bocairent, focused on the restoration and reinforcement of the frame and on the improvement of the brakes and suspensions in order to achieve raise your dynamic behavior.
Driving today this nice miniature Aston-Martin is impressive for its maneuverability; In addition, it is comfortable and spacious, much more than the Ginetta y TVR contemporary, responding at all times to the needs and wishes of the pilot.
The GT was replaced in 1966 by the Genie - characterized by its Ford V6 heart - so our protagonist is one of the last examples produced. It has survived for 52 years to tell you its unknown story and that of the enthusiasts of its time.
