Blackjack Cars

Blackjack Cars emerged in 1996 as a British specialist manufacturer founded by Richard Oakes in Helston, Cornwall. Rather than competing with mainstream car companies, it occupied the enthusiast-oriented kit-car sector, producing compact three-wheelers that could be assembled by customers from supplied kits and donor components. The company's design language drew on historic lightweight vehicles, especially the racing Morgan three-wheelers of the pre-war period. The first Blackjack product was the Avion. Launched in 1996, it used a two-front-wheel, one-rear-wheel layout and an open, doorless fibreglass body mounted on a steel chassis of Blackjack's own design. Its mechanical package was derived from the Citroën 2CV, including the engine and associated running gear. This approach reduced development complexity while giving builders access to familiar, comparatively inexpensive components. The Avion remained available for approximately eight years and 69 examples were produced before the model ended in 2004. Blackjack then developed the Zero, introduced in 2005. It maintained the company's three-wheeled front-wheel-drive concept but was positioned as a more performance-focused model than the Avion. Early Zero kits used an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle engine. The combination of a low-weight body, unusual wheel configuration, and established donor-car powertrain gave the Zero a distinctive place among British kit cars. A 2009 review in The Daily Telegraph praised its design practicality and finish, indicating that the small manufacturer had achieved a level of build presentation that compared favorably with larger specialist producers. In 2008, Blackjack broadened the Zero line with the lighter Guzzi variant. This version used a Moto Guzzi motorcycle engine, and its name was taken from that power source. The Guzzi followed the same general philosophy of reducing mass and using readily identifiable enthusiast-grade mechanical components, while offering a different driving character from the Volkswagen-engined Zero. Blackjack's production remained limited and specialized. The available reference material states that Zero kits had not been available since June 2013. No reliable information in the supplied sources confirms whether the company formally dissolved, changed ownership, continued in another form, or retained support activities after that point. Accordingly, its present corporate status is recorded as unknown rather than definitively defunct.

• 2013

  Zero kits become unavailable

  [1]Blackjack Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Blackjack Zero kits were reported as unavailable from June 2013 onward.

• 2008

  Lighter Guzzi variant introduced

  [1]Blackjack Carsen.wikipedia.org

  The company introduced the lighter Blackjack Guzzi, powered by a Moto Guzzi motorcycle engine.

• 2005

  Blackjack Zero introduced

  [1]Blackjack Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Blackjack introduced the Zero as a more performance-oriented three-wheeler, initially using an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle engine.

• 2004

  Avion production ends

  [1]Blackjack Carsen.wikipedia.org

  The Avion completed its production run after 69 examples had been built.

• 1996

  Blackjack Cars is founded and launches the Avion

  [1]Blackjack Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Richard Oakes founded Blackjack Cars in Helston, Cornwall, and introduced the Avion, a Morgan-inspired three-wheeled kit car using Citroën 2CV mechanical components.

A niche British kit-car maker combining vintage-inspired three-wheeler styling with lightweight construction and donor-vehicle mechanical components for enthusiast builders and recreational drivers.

• Three-wheeled kit car · 1996

  Blackjack Avion

  The Avion was Blackjack Cars' first model and was introduced in 1996. Its layout placed two wheels at the front and one at the rear, echoing the form of pre-war Morgan three-wheeler racing cars. The car used Citroën 2CV mechanical parts and engine installed in a Blackjack-designed steel chassis. An open-top, doorless fibreglass body completed the lightweight enthusiast-oriented package. Production continued until 2004, with 69 examples built.

• Three-wheeled performance kit car · 2005

  Blackjack Zero

  Introduced in 2005, the Zero was positioned as a more performance-oriented successor to the Avion. It retained the company's three-wheeled front-wheel-drive configuration and initially used an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle engine. The model combined a low-weight body and specialist construction with familiar donor-car engineering. The Zero was the core of Blackjack's later range, although its kits were reported as unavailable from June 2013.

• Lightweight three-wheeled kit car · 2008

  Blackjack Guzzi

  The Guzzi was introduced in 2008 as a lighter variant of the Zero. It was powered by a Moto Guzzi motorcycle engine, a feature reflected in its name. The model extended Blackjack's approach of pairing a distinctive three-wheeled chassis and body with readily identifiable enthusiast mechanical components.

1. 1Blackjack Carsen.wikipedia.org