Locust

Locust was a British kit-car design created by John Cowperthwaite and marketed originally through J. C. Auto Patterns. The car was conceived as an inexpensive, relatively straightforward alternative to more traditionally styled vintage roadster kits and was strongly influenced by the Lotus Seven. Its defining construction method used a purpose-built ladder chassis, a flat-sided body tub assembled from large sheets of exterior-grade or marine plywood, and aluminium skinning over the completed wooden structure. Fibreglass was reserved chiefly for the nosecone and wings, where compound curves were more difficult to make using flat sheet materials. The design emerged after the successful launch of Cowperthwaite's J. C. Midge. The Midge demonstrated that a pattern-based construction method could be applied to a simple vehicle form, prompting the development of a second kit whose body could be made with minimal shaping and without extensive compound curves. Locust's tapering box-like tub, slab sides, and largely single-plane aluminium panels suited home construction and helped keep the kit affordable. Its construction philosophy was aimed at enthusiasts who could fabricate and finish much of the body themselves rather than purchase a complete production car. The original Locust used its own ladder frame and could be completed with mechanical components from a Triumph Spitfire or from rear-wheel-drive Ford Escort and Ford Cortina donor vehicles. This donor-based approach made the car compatible with widely available used components and allowed builders to choose engines, suspension, brakes, and other running gear according to the selected donor configuration. The result was a lightweight, open sports car whose character depended substantially on the donor vehicle and the builder's specification. The design passed through several specialist kit-car businesses. T&J Sportscars marketed the Locust and developed a larger Cortina-based derivative called the Hornet. In 1995, White Rose Vehicles took over the Escort-based Locust and continued selling it until 1998. As suitable rear-wheel-drive Escorts became harder to obtain, White Rose introduced the Sierra-based Locust SIII, which used a ladder chassis, Ford Sierra rear differential, and either Pinto or Zetec engine options. The Sierra model represented an effort to modernize the donor package while retaining the basic Locust construction concept. After White Rose Vehicles closed in April 2000, BWE Sportscars took over the Escort-based Locust Classic. BWE also produced the Hornet and a small Grasshopper electric vehicle for children. Road Tech Engineering acquired the Sierra-based Series III and renamed it the RT Blaze, but the company closed in 2006 after reportedly selling only 15 kits. BWE Sportscars ceased trading following the death of Bev Evans on 10 April 2014. Locust kits had therefore been associated with multiple manufacturers over their life, and production is generally treated as having ended by the mid-2010s. The brand is historically notable within the British kit-car movement for combining a Seven-like layout with unusually simple plywood-and-aluminium body construction.

Locust was developed in Britain by John Cowperthwaite, the designer associated with the J. C. Midge and Moss kit cars. Its development followed the successful introduction of the Midge, which showed that a vehicle body could be constructed economically from patterns and simple sheet materials. Cowperthwaite sought a form that avoided the rounded, compound-curved bodywork common on traditional vintage-style kit cars. The Lotus Seven provided the broad stylistic and layout inspiration, while the Locust's own design was adapted to simple fabrication. The finished concept used a dedicated ladder chassis rather than relying exclusively on a donor vehicle's original frame. The body tub was made from three 8-by-4-foot sheets of approximately three-quarter-inch exterior-grade or marine plywood; MDF was also identified as an alternative material. After assembly, the wooden tub was covered with aluminium sheet. The nosecone and wings were generally made from glass-reinforced plastic because those components required more complex curves. This construction system gave the car a distinctive slab-sided appearance and allowed amateur builders to complete much of the bodywork with ordinary woodworking and metalworking techniques. The original JC Locust was sold by J. C. Auto Patterns and used mechanical parts from either a Triumph Spitfire or Ford donor vehicles. The Ford-based configuration could draw on Escort or Cortina components, while later versions reflected changes in the availability of suitable donors. T&J Sportscars subsequently sold the design and introduced the larger Hornet, which retained the general construction philosophy but was based around the Ford Cortina. White Rose Vehicles took over the Escort-based Locust in 1995 and continued that version until 1998. With rear-wheel-drive Ford Escorts becoming increasingly scarce, the company developed the Sierra-based Locust SIII. This version used Ford Sierra mechanical architecture, including the rear differential, and could be built with Pinto or Zetec engines. The SIII was intended as a more contemporary donor-based interpretation of the same basic kit-car idea. White Rose Vehicles closed in April 2000. BWE Sportscars then took over the Escort-based Locust Classic and also handled the Hornet. Road Tech Engineering acquired the Sierra-based Series III, renamed it the RT Blaze, and continued development under that name. Road Tech Engineering later closed in 2006, after selling only a small number of kits. BWE Sportscars was no longer trading after the death of Bev Evans on 10 April 2014. The Locust name consequently belongs to the historical British kit-car sector rather than to an active mass-market automobile company. Its production history is best understood as a sequence of handover agreements among small specialist manufacturers rather than as the continuous operation of one large corporate entity.

• 2014

  BWE Sportscars ceases trading

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  BWE Sportscars was no longer trading after principal Bev Evans died on 10 April 2014, marking the end of the main documented manufacturing succession for the Locust designs.

• 2006

  Road Tech Engineering closes

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  Road Tech Engineering, which had renamed the Sierra-based Locust SIII as the RT Blaze, ceased trading after selling 15 kits.

• 2000

  White Rose Vehicles closes

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  White Rose Vehicles closed in April, leading to separate transfers of the Escort-based and Sierra-based Locust derivatives.

• 1998

  Locust SIII introduced

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  White Rose Vehicles introduced the Sierra-based Locust SIII as rear-wheel-drive Ford Escort donors became less readily available.

• 1995

  White Rose Vehicles takes over the Locust

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  White Rose Vehicles assumed responsibility for the Escort-based Locust and continued selling that version until 1998.

• Locust concept developed

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  John Cowperthwaite developed the Locust after the J. C. Midge, selecting a simple, flat-sided sports-car form suited to pattern-based construction and amateur fabrication.

• JC Locust marketed by J. C. Auto Patterns

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  The original design was sold as the JC Locust through J. C. Auto Patterns, using a dedicated ladder chassis and Triumph or Ford donor mechanicals.

• Hornet introduced

  [1]Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org

  T&J Sportscars introduced the larger Hornet, a Cortina-based derivative using the same general plywood, aluminium, and ladder-chassis construction approach.

Low-cost, home-buildable British kit cars emphasizing simple fabrication, donor-car components, lightweight construction, and Lotus Seven-inspired open-sports-car styling.

• Kit car

  The Locust

  The original Locust was a lightweight, open two-seat sports-car kit inspired by the Lotus Seven. It used a purpose-built ladder chassis and a body tub assembled from large sheets of exterior-grade or marine plywood, later covered with aluminium. Fibreglass was used for the nosecone and wings. Builders could use Triumph Spitfire, Ford Escort, or Ford Cortina donor components, making the car relatively adaptable and inexpensive for the period.

• Larger kit car derivative

  Hornet

  The Hornet was a larger Locust-related vehicle introduced by T&J Sportscars. It retained the characteristic simple construction method, including a ladder-type structure and a plywood-and-aluminium body concept, but was based around Ford Cortina mechanical components. Its larger dimensions positioned it as an alternative to bigger budget kit cars such as Robin Hood models.

• Escort-based kit car

  Locust Classic

  The Locust Classic was the Escort-based version continued by White Rose Vehicles and later taken over by BWE Sportscars. It preserved the original Locust's basic body and construction principles while depending on rear-wheel-drive Ford Escort donor components. Its appeal rested on low-cost construction and the ability for an enthusiast to complete much of the vehicle using accessible workshop skills.

• Sierra-based kit car · 1998

  Locust SIII

  The Locust SIII was developed by White Rose Vehicles for the newer Ford Sierra donor platform. It used a ladder chassis incorporating the Ford Sierra rear differential and could be specified with Pinto or Zetec engines. The model modernized the Locust's mechanical basis while retaining the lightweight, home-built body concept. Road Tech Engineering later acquired the design and sold it under the RT Blaze name.

• Renamed Sierra-based kit car

  RT Blaze

  The RT Blaze was Road Tech Engineering's renamed version of the Sierra-based Locust Series III. It continued the donor-based sports-car formula but had a short commercial run. Road Tech Engineering closed in 2006 after selling 15 kits.

• 2000

  Transfer of Locust variants after White Rose closureM&A

  Background

  White Rose Vehicles closed in April 2000, ending its direct role in producing the Locust range.

  Action taken

  BWE Sportscars took over the Escort-based Locust Classic, while Road Tech Engineering took over the Sierra-based Series III.

  Aftermath

  The two principal Locust derivatives continued under different specialist companies; the Series III became the RT Blaze and the original-style model remained associated with BWE Sportscars.

  Source

• 1998

  Move from Escort donors to the Locust SIIIGeneration change

  Background

  White Rose Vehicles judged that rear-wheel-drive Ford Escorts were becoming increasingly difficult to source for new builds.

  Action taken

  The company developed the Sierra-based Locust SIII, using Ford Sierra rear-drive components and offering Pinto or Zetec engine options.

  Aftermath

  The SIII extended the design's life through a newer donor platform, but after White Rose Vehicles closed it was transferred to Road Tech Engineering and renamed the RT Blaze.

  Source

1. 1Locust (car)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Lotus Seven & The Independentscoteriepress.com