Chesil
Chesil is a British specialist automobile manufacturer best known for Porsche-inspired Speedster replica cars and kits based on Volkswagen Beetle architecture.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Chesil is a British specialist automobile manufacturer associated with the production of replica and kit cars, particularly open two-seat sports cars inspired by the Porsche 356 Speedster. The company was founded by Peter Bailey in Burton Bradstock, Dorset, in 1991. Its early development followed Bailey’s takeover of a project originating with Street Beetle, after which Chesil began producing complete automobiles and component kits under the Chesil name. The company’s principal product has been the Chesil Speedster, a recreation of the Porsche 356 Speedster rather than an original Porsche model. Traditional versions use the Volkswagen Beetle as their underlying platform, with the chassis shortened by approximately 10.75 inches and supplemented by a tubular steel structure. A glass-fibre-reinforced plastic body gives the car its classic roadster appearance while allowing the manufacturer to use a comparatively accessible donor-car mechanical base. The Speedster became the company’s best-selling model and established Chesil’s identity within the British kit-car and replica-car sector. Chesil’s corporate history has included several changes of ownership or operating structure. After the original period under Bailey, Angus McCubbin and Jerry Baker ran a successor Chesil company from 2004 to 2007. The business then operated as the Beaminster-based Tygan Motor Company under Graham Lee from 2007 to 2008. In 2009, the company resumed trading as Chesil Motor Company under Peter Bailey’s management. Sources describe total production at roughly 500 vehicles, although the figure is approximate rather than a current audited production total. The product range has extended beyond the standard Speedster. The RS 60, offered in 2005 and 2006, was a limited replica inspired by the Porsche 718 and reportedly attracted only two buyers. Chesil also offered imported 550 Spyder cars supplied by Rudolph Perfect Roadster from the mid-1990s until approximately 2008. From 2010, Chesil worked with the United States-based Inrekor to offer a more contemporary chassis option capable of accommodating more powerful engines, reflecting an effort to combine historic styling with updated performance and construction. Chesil operates in a niche shaped by enthusiast demand for classic-looking sports cars, bespoke builds, and home-assembly or professionally completed kit vehicles. Its appeal rests on the visual language of mid-century Porsche sports cars, relatively low-volume craftsmanship, and the ability to tailor mechanical specifications. At the same time, the company’s products occupy the legally and commercially sensitive replica-car category and should not be confused with vehicles manufactured by Porsche. In 2019, Westfield Sportscars acquired Chesil Motor Company. The available reference material does not establish the present corporate structure, production volume, executive team, or whether every historical model remains available. Chesil is therefore best characterized as a British specialist and low-volume automobile brand whose historical significance comes from its Speedster replicas and continuity within the UK kit-car industry.
History
Chesil Motor Company was established by Peter Bailey in Burton Bradstock, Dorset, in 1991. Bailey took over a project associated with Street Beetle and developed it into a business producing both completed automobiles and kits. From the beginning, Chesil occupied the specialist end of the British motor industry, where small manufacturers serve enthusiasts seeking distinctive styling, limited production, and a degree of mechanical or construction customisation unavailable from mass-market manufacturers. The company’s defining product was the Chesil Speedster, a replica of the Porsche 356 Speedster. The car used a shortened Volkswagen Beetle chassis, reduced by about 10.75 inches, together with an additional tubular steel frame. A glass-fibre-reinforced plastic body supplied the characteristic open sports-car shape. This arrangement allowed Chesil to reproduce the proportions and visual character of a famous post-war roadster while relying on a more readily available donor-car platform. The Speedster became the company’s best-selling model and is the product most closely associated with the Chesil name. Chesil’s operating history was not continuous under one corporate form. Angus McCubbin and Jerry Baker managed a successor company using the Chesil name between 2004 and 2007. From 2007 to 2008, the enterprise operated as the Beaminster-based Tygan Motor Company under Graham Lee. In 2009, it returned to the Chesil Motor Company identity under Peter Bailey’s management. Reference material places cumulative production at approximately 500 vehicles, making Chesil a low-volume manufacturer rather than a conventional series-production automaker. The company experimented with additional products and platforms. Its RS 60 was marketed from 2005 to 2006 as a replica inspired by the Porsche 718; the model reportedly sold only two examples. Chesil also offered imported 550 Spyder vehicles from Rudolph Perfect Roadster from approximately 1996 through about 2008. Beginning in 2010, cooperation with the US company Inrekor produced an alternative, more modern chassis that could be paired with stronger engines. This represented a technical and commercial attempt to retain the appeal of historic sports-car styling while addressing customers who wanted more contemporary structural and performance characteristics. Chesil’s cars have circulated through the specialist-car market as well as through direct enthusiast sales. A 2003 example appeared at a Silverstone Auctions event in August 2012. Such auction activity reflects the brand’s position within the collector, replica, and kit-car communities, although it does not establish a broad secondary-market valuation or a standard production scale. In 2019, Westfield Sportscars acquired Chesil Motor Company. The acquisition is the latest major corporate event identified in the available reference material. Publicly available information supplied for this entry does not clarify the precise post-acquisition legal structure, current production status of each historical model, present manufacturing location, or current leadership beyond the historical association with Peter Bailey. Chesil’s documented legacy is therefore that of a Dorset-founded British specialist manufacturer whose core identity was built around Speedster replicas, limited-run sports-car derivatives, and enthusiast-oriented kit-car engineering.
- 2019
Acquired by Westfield Sportscars
[1]Westfield Sportscars acquired Chesil Motor Company.
- 2010
Modern chassis collaboration introduced
[1]Chesil began offering a more modern chassis developed with Inrekor, designed to support more powerful engines.
- 2009
Chesil identity restored
[1]The company resumed operation as Chesil Motor Company under Peter Bailey.
- 2007
Business operates as Tygan Motor Company
[1]The Beaminster-based Tygan Motor Company operated the business under Graham Lee from 2007 to 2008.
- 2005
RS 60 offered
[1]Chesil offered the RS 60, a limited replica inspired by the Porsche 718, during 2005 and 2006.
- 2004
Successor Chesil company operated by McCubbin and Baker
[1]Angus McCubbin and Jerry Baker ran a successor company using the Chesil name from 2004 to 2007.
- 1996
550 Spyder imports begin
[1]Chesil began offering imported 550 Spyder vehicles from Rudolph Perfect Roadster, with the offering continuing until approximately 2008.
- 1991
Chesil Motor Company founded
[1]Peter Bailey founded the company in Burton Bradstock, Dorset, after taking over a project originating with Street Beetle.
Products and positioning
A British low-volume specialist positioned around hand-built, Porsche-inspired classic sports-car replicas and kits, combining vintage styling with Volkswagen-based or updated modern chassis solutions.
Replica sports car and kit car · 1991
Chesil Speedster
The Speedster is Chesil’s principal and best-selling model. It recreates the appearance of the Porsche 356 Speedster while using a shortened Volkswagen Beetle chassis, an added tubular steel frame, and a glass-fibre-reinforced plastic body. It has been offered both as a completed vehicle and in kit-oriented forms. Later chassis options expanded the platform’s potential for stronger engines and more contemporary performance.
Replica sports car · 2005
Chesil RS 60
The RS 60 was a limited Chesil model inspired by the Porsche 718. It was offered during 2005 and 2006 and had very low reported demand, with two buyers identified in the available reference material. No evidence is provided that the model remains in production.
Imported replica sports car · 1996
Chesil 550 Spyder
The 550 Spyder offering consisted of imported vehicles supplied by Rudolph Perfect Roadster. Chesil made these cars available from approximately 1996 until around 2008. The offering complemented Chesil’s own Speedster production by adding another Porsche-inspired open sports-car design to its portfolio.
Brand decisions
2019
Westfield Sportscars acquisitionM&ABackground
Chesil was a low-volume British specialist manufacturer with a long-standing position in the replica and kit-car market.
Action taken
Westfield Sportscars acquired Chesil Motor Company.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed Chesil within Westfield Sportscars’ business interests. Available material does not specify the transaction terms or the detailed post-acquisition operating model.
2010
Add a contemporary chassis optionStrategyBackground
The traditional Speedster platform was derived from a shortened Volkswagen Beetle chassis. Chesil sought to offer customers a more modern technical foundation and greater engine capacity.
Action taken
The company collaborated with US-based Inrekor to offer a newer chassis capable of accommodating more powerful engines.
Aftermath
The move broadened the technical specification available for Chesil-style cars, although the available sources do not provide subsequent sales or production data.
Recent events
- 2019
Westfield Sportscars acquires Chesil Motor Company[1]
M&A
Westfield Sportscars acquired Chesil Motor Company, placing the specialist replica-car brand within Westfield’s broader performance and kit-car portfolio.
- 2012
Chesil Speedster sold at Silverstone Auctions[1]
Other
A Chesil vehicle built in 2003 was offered at a Silverstone Auctions sale on August 25, 2012, illustrating the brand’s presence in the enthusiast and collector-car market.
- 2010
Chesil introduces a more modern chassis option with Inrekor[1]
Product launch
Chesil began offering a contemporary chassis developed in cooperation with US-based Inrekor, with capacity for more powerful engines than the traditional Volkswagen Beetle-derived arrangement.
- 2009
Chesil Motor Company resumes operation under Peter Bailey[1]
Leadership change · Other
The business returned to operating as Chesil Motor Company after the intervening Chesil and Tygan periods, with Peter Bailey again managing the company.
Sources2 sources
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