Discussion
I chanced across this image, a photo for sale on Ebay. Described as an Emery GT Hillman Imp, not a car I recall, it looks very Davrian like to me, a quick Google turned up the following. Does anyone recall it?
Emery GT
1963-1964
by Paul Emery Cars Ltd., Fulham, London S.W.
According to Mike Lawrence's A to Z of Sports Cars, 4 were made.
The Emery GT had a tuned Hillman Imp engine at the rear, along with the Imp gearbox which got inverted. The prototype had an aluminium body on a tubular space frame chassis; the 3 others specimens used fibreglass bodies. Independent suspension all round with coil spring damper units and wish bones. It had anti-dive at the front and anti-dip at the rear.
As it was constructed on an uneven floor, one door sill was deeper than the other. So the doors were of different heights.
A Ford engine was optional.
Emery GT
1963-1964
by Paul Emery Cars Ltd., Fulham, London S.W.
According to Mike Lawrence's A to Z of Sports Cars, 4 were made.
The Emery GT had a tuned Hillman Imp engine at the rear, along with the Imp gearbox which got inverted. The prototype had an aluminium body on a tubular space frame chassis; the 3 others specimens used fibreglass bodies. Independent suspension all round with coil spring damper units and wish bones. It had anti-dive at the front and anti-dip at the rear.
As it was constructed on an uneven floor, one door sill was deeper than the other. So the doors were of different heights.
A Ford engine was optional.
Ahh, right up my street. Used to visit Paul Emery (amazing guy) and Vic at VW Derrington in the 60s for Imp bits. Anything 'Imp' interests me (and a lot of other specialist marques).
In the mid 80s John Markey partnered David Palmer in the Ginetta G29 Thundersports racer - Markey in the 60s raced Loti, Ginetta - and he raced an Emery GT, of which there were different versions, the prototype and 3 others (I think!). Markey took the long-tailed Emery GT round Nürburgring. His first wife, Wendy, raced cars too.
One of Markey's proudest claims he said was that he still holds a Class lap record for the old Goodwood track closed in the 1960s...
in an Emery GT.
He was born in the (late?) 30s so not sure of his age, but he's getting on. Last I heard he still works with H&H classic car auctions!!
There is another interesting story about a Racing Car Show Emery GT bought at the show by a Bill Reiter. He raced the car in Germany before taking it to the USA, where he raced it at Santa Barbra,and Riverside. He lost his job and left the GT with a garage I believe and moved elsewhere. He has spent years apparently searching for it and said as far as he was concerned his Emery GT remains 'stolen'!
There are some great stories out this regards the specialist marques. There is a vid on youtube somewhere of this Nürburgring race with a brief glimpse of the Emery GT.
In the mid 80s John Markey partnered David Palmer in the Ginetta G29 Thundersports racer - Markey in the 60s raced Loti, Ginetta - and he raced an Emery GT, of which there were different versions, the prototype and 3 others (I think!). Markey took the long-tailed Emery GT round Nürburgring. His first wife, Wendy, raced cars too.
One of Markey's proudest claims he said was that he still holds a Class lap record for the old Goodwood track closed in the 1960s...
in an Emery GT.
He was born in the (late?) 30s so not sure of his age, but he's getting on. Last I heard he still works with H&H classic car auctions!!
There is another interesting story about a Racing Car Show Emery GT bought at the show by a Bill Reiter. He raced the car in Germany before taking it to the USA, where he raced it at Santa Barbra,and Riverside. He lost his job and left the GT with a garage I believe and moved elsewhere. He has spent years apparently searching for it and said as far as he was concerned his Emery GT remains 'stolen'!
There are some great stories out this regards the specialist marques. There is a vid on youtube somewhere of this Nürburgring race with a brief glimpse of the Emery GT.
Skyedriver said:
Re call them vaguely, think they also did an Imp saloon mod.
The inverted gearbox was because the engine and box were turned about with the engine amidships rather than hung out the back.
I might be wrong as I was very very drunk at the time...
Nah, you're right! The inverted gearbox was because the engine and box were turned about with the engine amidships rather than hung out the back.
I might be wrong as I was very very drunk at the time...
That was the Emery GTI
if I recall Paul Emery made a doz of them. Chopped roof bit like competition to a Minisprint.
A chopped roof Imp features on the front of the Sept 68 CCC mag. The magazine team rallycrossed one (pictured) but if I recall they built most of it themselves so unsure if it was a genuine Emery GTI. There's a copy of this mag selling on Ebay now (NOT me!)
dandarez said:
Ahh, right up my street. Used to visit Paul Emery (amazing guy) and Vic at VW Derrington in the 60s for Imp bits. Anything 'Imp' interests me (and a lot of other specialist marques).
In the mid 80s John Markey partnered David Palmer in the Ginetta G29 Thundersports racer - Markey in the 60s raced Loti, Ginetta - and he raced an Emery GT, of which there were different versions, the prototype and 3 others (I think!). Markey took the long-tailed Emery GT round Nürburgring. His first wife, Wendy, raced cars too.
One of Markey's proudest claims he said was that he still holds a Class lap record for the old Goodwood track closed in the 1960s...
in an Emery GT.
He was born in the (late?) 30s so not sure of his age, but he's getting on. Last I heard he still works with H&H classic car auctions!!
There is another interesting story about a Racing Car Show Emery GT bought at the show by a Bill Reiter. He raced the car in Germany before taking it to the USA, where he raced it at Santa Barbra,and Riverside. He lost his job and left the GT with a garage I believe and moved elsewhere. He has spent years apparently searching for it and said as far as he was concerned his Emery GT remains 'stolen'!
There are some great stories out this regards the specialist marques. There is a vid on youtube somewhere of this Nürburgring race with a brief glimpse of the Emery GT.
Great update.In the mid 80s John Markey partnered David Palmer in the Ginetta G29 Thundersports racer - Markey in the 60s raced Loti, Ginetta - and he raced an Emery GT, of which there were different versions, the prototype and 3 others (I think!). Markey took the long-tailed Emery GT round Nürburgring. His first wife, Wendy, raced cars too.
One of Markey's proudest claims he said was that he still holds a Class lap record for the old Goodwood track closed in the 1960s...
in an Emery GT.
He was born in the (late?) 30s so not sure of his age, but he's getting on. Last I heard he still works with H&H classic car auctions!!
There is another interesting story about a Racing Car Show Emery GT bought at the show by a Bill Reiter. He raced the car in Germany before taking it to the USA, where he raced it at Santa Barbra,and Riverside. He lost his job and left the GT with a garage I believe and moved elsewhere. He has spent years apparently searching for it and said as far as he was concerned his Emery GT remains 'stolen'!
There are some great stories out this regards the specialist marques. There is a vid on youtube somewhere of this Nürburgring race with a brief glimpse of the Emery GT.
Having raced Imps, a Davrian and, on one occasion a G15, I have always admired everything Imp based and I'm not sure how Emery missed my radar. Styling does have a lot in common with the early Davrians (non mod-sport) and given that Davrian started mid 60's it is possible that some of that the Emery gave them some of their styling clues. The Imp was the base for so many special builders.
One of the cars I let slip through my fingers, about 25 years ago, was a Vixen, like the Emery it ran the transaxle behind the engine and hence upside-down. At the Revival a couple of years' ago a Vixen was part of the Ecurie Ecosse display.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/907TExPVThis is me in the Davrian, early 90's, being somewhat out-horsepowered!
|https://thumbsnap.com/dHjT754Wdandarez said:
Skyedriver said:
Re call them vaguely, think they also did an Imp saloon mod.
The inverted gearbox was because the engine and box were turned about with the engine amidships rather than hung out the back.
I might be wrong as I was very very drunk at the time...
Nah, you're right! The inverted gearbox was because the engine and box were turned about with the engine amidships rather than hung out the back.
I might be wrong as I was very very drunk at the time...
That was the Emery GTI
if I recall Paul Emery made a doz of them. Chopped roof bit like competition to a Minisprint.
A chopped roof Imp features on the front of the Sept 68 CCC mag. The magazine team rallycrossed one (pictured) but if I recall they built most of it themselves so unsure if it was a genuine Emery GTI. There's a copy of this mag selling on Ebay now (NOT me!)
Hot Bra did a roof chop too. cut the front pillars, cut a wedge shape out of the rear pillars, bit out the B post and door frames and leaned everything forward. Blue it was...
Keep it stiff said:
Having raced a Davrian ......
Like the user name !!Are you a member of the Facebook Group - Clan/G15/Davrian group ?
Or the CSCC, Special Saloons and Modsports Group - loads of pictures and articles being uploaded there.
I use to go around with the works Davrian drivers. I'd probably stopped going by the early nineties though.
Who use to own your car ?
Edited by SimonTheSailor on Saturday 18th April 12:37
Back in the 70s I was a medical student at Charing Cross Hospital, Emery was based in Aspenlea Road right next to the Hospital and just off Fulham Palace Road.
I had an Imp at the time and tortured myself everyday parking the Grimp outside the Emery garage in the firm knowledge that,as a student, I would never be able to afford any of the garage's services. So I had to make do with a pair of Super Oscars at the front, a Corbeau seat and a dash mounted rev counter which tended to fall off on corners because I'd screwed it into the crash padding with a couple of tiny self tappers...
I had an Imp at the time and tortured myself everyday parking the Grimp outside the Emery garage in the firm knowledge that,as a student, I would never be able to afford any of the garage's services. So I had to make do with a pair of Super Oscars at the front, a Corbeau seat and a dash mounted rev counter which tended to fall off on corners because I'd screwed it into the crash padding with a couple of tiny self tappers...
SimonTheSailor said:
Like the user name !!
Are you a member of the Facebook Group - Clan/G15/Davrian group ?
Or the CSCC, Special Saloons and Modsports Group - loads of pictures and articles being uploaded there.
I use to go around with the works Davrian drivers. I'd probably stopped going by the early nineties though.
Who use to own your car ?
You may be the only person who has made the user-name connection!Are you a member of the Facebook Group - Clan/G15/Davrian group ?
Or the CSCC, Special Saloons and Modsports Group - loads of pictures and articles being uploaded there.
I use to go around with the works Davrian drivers. I'd probably stopped going by the early nineties though.
Who use to own your car ?
Edited by SimonTheSailor on Saturday 18th April 12:37
I raced my Mk6 in the early 90's, a couple of seasons in the Caste Combe series, a couple in a sports/saloon series at Pembrey and various other one-off races. I passed my file on to the new owner when I sold the car, I remember that Pat Longhurst told me that he had raced my car but that aside I can't recall the names of other earlier owners.
I don't do facebook. Couple of pictures of my Davrian and also one of me doing a hillclimb in a friends G15.
moffspeed said:
Back in the 70s I was a medical student at Charing Cross Hospital, Emery was based in Aspenlea Road right next to the Hospital and just off Fulham Palace Road.
I had an Imp at the time and tortured myself everyday parking the Grimp outside the Emery garage in the firm knowledge that,as a student, I would never be able to afford any of the garage's services. So I had to make do with a pair of Super Oscars at the front, a Corbeau seat and a dash mounted rev counter which tended to fall off on corners because I'd screwed it into the crash padding with a couple of tiny self tappers...
Sorry for the thread resurrection but a quick Google lead me here. My Dad worked with Paul back then. Do you have any pictures of the car? My father still owns what we believe to the only Paul Emery Dastle Mk7 Grand Prix Midget left, with its original Imp engine and Emery wheels. I had an Imp at the time and tortured myself everyday parking the Grimp outside the Emery garage in the firm knowledge that,as a student, I would never be able to afford any of the garage's services. So I had to make do with a pair of Super Oscars at the front, a Corbeau seat and a dash mounted rev counter which tended to fall off on corners because I'd screwed it into the crash padding with a couple of tiny self tappers...
I'm guessing it's a photo of the Dastle and not my Imp that you are after - I've got a few of the Grimp but I'd advise against it !
Incidentally - keep it stiff - I graduated from the Imp to Lotuses and RS Escorts before sprinting this X-pack RS2000. This (bad) photo is from Goodwood circa 1984 and maybe I'm lined up alongside "your" Davrian ??
Incidentally - keep it stiff - I graduated from the Imp to Lotuses and RS Escorts before sprinting this X-pack RS2000. This (bad) photo is from Goodwood circa 1984 and maybe I'm lined up alongside "your" Davrian ??
yellowtr said:
Sorry for the thread resurrection but a quick Google lead me here. My Dad worked with Paul back then. Do you have any pictures of the car? My father still owns what we believe to the only Paul Emery Dastle Mk7 Grand Prix Midget left, with its original Imp engine and Emery wheels.
Back in the 50s, Paul Emery had premises in Twickenham. He was doing 500cc car racing then, financed by his mother. My brother who was an engineering apprentice used to hang around outside, peering in the door. One day he was invited in and ended up doing work on the cars and going to various race meetings with him and the car.The problem was, in those days, you needed the Norton dohc 500cc engine to do any good. The JAP engine was a poor second. The only way to get a Norton engine was to buy a new motorbike with the double knocker engine, use the engine and get rid of the bike.
moffspeed said:
I'm guessing it's a photo of the Dastle and not my Imp that you are after - I've got a few of the Grimp but I'd advise against it !
Incidentally - keep it stiff - I graduated from the Imp to Lotuses and RS Escorts before sprinting this X-pack RS2000. This (bad) photo is from Goodwood circa 1984 and maybe I'm lined up alongside "your" Davrian ??
I remember doing some engine running in at a 750MC test day at Goodwood, early 90's, but I never competed there in the Davrian.Incidentally - keep it stiff - I graduated from the Imp to Lotuses and RS Escorts before sprinting this X-pack RS2000. This (bad) photo is from Goodwood circa 1984 and maybe I'm lined up alongside "your" Davrian ??
The Special GT championship at Combe was really well supported in the early 90's and within this the class for small engines was very popular. I raced my Mk6 alongside three or four other Davrians plus various space-framed Imps. I had to put my racing on hold when the family came along, the Davrian sat in the back of my garage for about 20 years and eventually I sold it on as a rolling chassis to a chap who had plans to put a bike engine in it. At the time I sold it there was no obvious series to compete in, being too modified for historic racing and too dated to being competitive against younger cars. CSCC have recently introduced a Modsports series, it would be good to see this flourish with 80's/90's spaceframes etc. making a comeback.
Love reading all this stuff about Imp-engined GTs and Davrians in particular.
I borrowed/used/road tested a Davrian from Adrian Evans (the founder of Davrian) in the early seventies. It was a turbo version and had brilliant acceleration and handling. I liked it so much I ordered a car from Adrian but like most of my automobile ventures, it was followed by massive inactivity.
Instead, Adrian found me a Cortina Mk2 Estate whose build quality was fantastic. The clunk of a closing door was comparable to a Rolls Royce. I never did. get my Davrian, although a bloke near me here in Sussex is occasionally seen in his on the road.
I borrowed/used/road tested a Davrian from Adrian Evans (the founder of Davrian) in the early seventies. It was a turbo version and had brilliant acceleration and handling. I liked it so much I ordered a car from Adrian but like most of my automobile ventures, it was followed by massive inactivity.
Instead, Adrian found me a Cortina Mk2 Estate whose build quality was fantastic. The clunk of a closing door was comparable to a Rolls Royce. I never did. get my Davrian, although a bloke near me here in Sussex is occasionally seen in his on the road.
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