Piper Cars

Piper Cars was a small United Kingdom manufacturer of specialist sports cars and a related racing-car enterprise. It was associated with a camshaft and engine-tuning-parts business that used the Piper name, but the car operation is best understood as a distinct low-volume vehicle manufacturer. Its products followed the British kit-car and specialist-car tradition: lightweight construction, adaptable mechanical components, and designs intended for enthusiasts who were prepared to complete or substantially equip their cars themselves. The company was initially based at Hayes and later moved to Kent. Car production began in 1968 at Wokingham in Berkshire before transferring in 1973 to South Willingham in Lincolnshire. The first road-going design, the Piper GT, was created by Tony Hilder and shown at the January 1967 Racing Car Show. It was offered as a body-and-chassis unit for home completion, allowing customers to choose and install suitable engines and other running gear. The car used a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, a tubular-steel chassis, Triumph Herald front-suspension components, and a Ford rear axle. This parts mix reflected the practical engineering and maintenance advantages common to British specialist cars of the period. Early production encountered problems, delaying the intended manufacturing programme. A substantially revised version appeared the following year and became known as the GTT. At the same time, Piper developed a much more ambitious mid-engined Group 6 racing car, the GTR. The prototype was exceptionally low, at approximately 30 inches high, and its design sought low aerodynamic drag by relocating mechanical equipment such as the water and oil radiators to the rear. Piper entered the GTR for the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, but overheating difficulties and driver John Burton's failure to record a qualifying time prevented the car from starting the race. Only a small number of GTRs were produced. The racing programme ended after company owner Brian Sherwood died in a road accident in late 1969. Two employees, Bill Atkinson and Tony Waller, took over the operation, renamed it Emmbrook Engineering, and withdrew from racing in order to concentrate on developing the road cars. Their work resulted in the Piper P2, introduced in 1971 with revisions to the chassis, body, and interior. The P2 remained in production into the mid-1970s. Because Piper operated at very low volume and supplied partially completed cars, surviving production estimates differ. The Piper Sports and Racing Car Club has cited approximately 80 cars, while other accounts place total production at more than 100. Piper Cars therefore occupies a niche position in British motoring history: it combined a short-lived road-car business with an innovative but unsuccessful endurance-racing project, and its vehicles are now primarily of interest to specialist-car collectors, historic-racing enthusiasts, and owners' clubs.

Piper Cars emerged within the British specialist-car and tuning industry during the 1960s. The business shared its name with a camshaft and engine-tuning-parts manufacturer and initially operated from Hayes before later establishing itself in Kent. Tony Hilder designed the company's first road car, the Piper GT, which debuted at the January 1967 Racing Car Show. Rather than being sold as a fully assembled mass-production vehicle, the GT was introduced as a body-and-chassis unit for completion by its purchaser. This approach reduced manufacturing requirements and gave owners flexibility over engine choice and specification. The GT used a tubular-steel chassis with front-engine, rear-wheel-drive architecture. Its front suspension was derived from the Triumph Herald, while the rear axle came from Ford components. The use of readily available production-car parts was consistent with the engineering practices of British kit and specialist manufacturers. Problems affecting the first examples delayed the production programme. A more thoroughly developed revision appeared in 1968 and was identified as the GTT. Production from that period was located at Wokingham, Berkshire. Piper also pursued a racing project of considerably greater technical ambition. Hilder designed the GTR as a mid-engined Group 6 racing car. Its extremely low body, reported at about 30 inches in height, and the rear positioning of its water and oil radiators were intended to reduce aerodynamic resistance and improve packaging. The car was entered for the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its preparation was undermined by overheating problems, and John Burton did not record a qualifying time, so the GTR did not start the event. Only a handful of examples were built before the racing programme was abandoned. The decisive change came with the death of owner Brian Sherwood in a road accident late in 1969. Bill Atkinson and Tony Waller, both employees, assumed control of the operation. They renamed it Emmbrook Engineering, ended the racing activities, and redirected resources toward the road-car business. In 1971 this work produced the Piper P2, a substantial revision incorporating changes to the chassis, exterior bodywork, and interior. The P2 continued to be made after Piper's move in 1973 from Wokingham to South Willingham, Lincolnshire, and remained in production until the mid-1970s. Piper's small scale, kit-oriented production model makes exact output difficult to establish. The Piper Sports and Racing Car Club has estimated approximately 80 cars, while other historical accounts report a total exceeding 100. The company did not become a high-volume manufacturer and there is no indication that it developed into a continuing mainstream automotive business. Its legacy rests on the GTT and P2 road cars, the technically distinctive GTR racing project, and the surviving cars and documentation maintained by specialist enthusiasts.

• 1973

  Production moves to Lincolnshire

  [1]Piper Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Manufacturing moved from Wokingham to South Willingham, Lincolnshire, as the company continued producing its specialist road cars.

• 1971

  Piper P2 introduced

  [1]Piper Carsen.wikipedia.org

  The successor road model, the Piper P2, brought further changes to the chassis, body, and interior and became the company's principal later production car.

• 1969

  GTR Le Mans attempt

  [1]Piper Carsen.wikipedia.org

  The mid-engined Piper GTR was entered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans but failed to start because of overheating problems and the absence of a qualifying time for driver John Burton.

• 1969

  End of the racing programme

  [1]Piper Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Following owner Brian Sherwood's death in a road accident, the company's racing project was abandoned and control passed to employees Bill Atkinson and Tony Waller.

• 1968

  Revised GTT enters production

  [1]Piper Carsen.wikipedia.org

  After problems with the earliest cars delayed production, a substantially improved version was introduced as the Piper GTT. Production was taking place at Wokingham, Berkshire, from this period.

• 1967

  Piper GT introduced

  [1]Piper Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Tony Hilder's first Piper GT road-car design was shown at the January 1967 Racing Car Show and offered as a body-and-chassis unit for home completion.

Low-volume British specialist sports-car manufacturer focused on lightweight construction, adaptable components, enthusiast assembly, and limited racing-car development.

• Specialist sports car · 1967

  Piper GT

  Tony Hilder's original Piper road-car design, displayed in 1967. It used a tubular-steel front-engine, rear-wheel-drive chassis with Triumph Herald front-suspension components and a Ford rear axle. The vehicle was sold as a body-and-chassis unit for home completion, allowing customers to select and install an engine and other mechanical equipment. Early examples experienced problems, leading to a delayed production programme and the later GTT revision.

• Specialist sports car · 1968

  Piper GTT

  The GTT was the substantially improved version of the initial Piper GT. It retained the lightweight, adaptable character of the original concept while addressing issues found in the first cars. Like other Piper road products, it belonged to the British enthusiast and home-completion market rather than conventional high-volume automobile production.

• Group 6 racing car · 1969

  Piper GTR

  A low, mid-engined racing car developed for Group 6 competition. The GTR was approximately 30 inches high and used rear-mounted water and oil radiators as part of an effort to achieve low aerodynamic drag. A car was entered for the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours, but overheating and qualification problems prevented it from racing. Only a handful were produced before the project was abandoned.

• Specialist sports car · 1971

  Piper P2

  Introduced in 1971 after the company withdrew from racing, the P2 was a further development of Piper's road-car concept. It incorporated improvements to the chassis, body design, and interior and remained in production into the mid-1970s. It represents the company's final major road-car phase, including production after the move to South Willingham in Lincolnshire.

• 1969

  Abandonment of racing and management transitionStrategy

  Background

  The GTR racing project had suffered from technical difficulties at Le Mans, and owner Brian Sherwood died in a road accident late in 1969.

  Action taken

  Bill Atkinson and Tony Waller took over the business, renamed it Emmbrook Engineering, ended racing activity, and concentrated on improving and producing road cars.

  Aftermath

  The strategic shift led to the Piper P2 road car in 1971 and kept the road-car operation active into the mid-1970s.

  Source

1. 1Piper Carsen.wikipedia.org