Quasar-Unipower

The Quasar-Unipower was an unusual limited-production automobile built in England during 1967 and 1968 by Universal Power Drives, a Perivale, Middlesex company better known for producing the Unipower GT sports car. Its name combined the Quasar design identity of Quasar Khanh, a French-Vietnamese designer and engineer, with the Unipower name used by the manufacturer. The car departed sharply from conventional small-car proportions. Rather than following the typical longer-than-wide layout of a compact automobile, it used a cube-like body that was wider than it was long. This form gave the vehicle a distinctive architectural appearance and made it an example of the late-1960s interest in radically packaged urban vehicles. Its design incorporated a glass roof, sliding glass doors and plastic inflatable seats, features that emphasized openness, novelty and flexible use of interior space. Mechanically, the Quasar-Unipower used a four-cylinder 1100 cc BMC engine paired with an automatic transmission. Modified Mini subframes supported the suspension components, while Mini 10-inch wheels provided the rolling equipment. The use of Mini-derived components connected the experimental body and cabin concept to familiar British small-car engineering. The vehicle had a reported top speed of approximately 50 mph, or 80 km/h, indicating that it was intended primarily as a compact urban or short-distance vehicle rather than a high-performance car. Production was limited and lasted only across 1967 and 1968. The available reference material does not establish a precise production total, a detailed sales network or a continuing commercial operation after that period. As a result, the Quasar-Unipower is best understood as a short-lived design-led automobile associated with Universal Power Drives rather than as a mass-market marque. Its historical interest rests on the combination of an exceptionally unconventional body, transparent and sliding elements, inflatable seating and compact mechanical packaging. It is also notable as a separate creation from the Unipower GT, despite sharing the Unipower name and manufacturer.

The Quasar-Unipower emerged in England during the late 1960s, a period when designers and manufacturers were exploring alternatives to conventional automobile proportions and interiors. It was designed by Quasar Khanh, a French-Vietnamese designer and engineer, and produced by Universal Power Drives at Perivale in Middlesex. Universal Power Drives also built the Unipower GT sports car, but the Quasar-Unipower represented a very different design direction from that sports-oriented model. The vehicle's central visual and functional idea was an almost cubic body. It was wider than it was long, creating a compact footprint with an unusually broad appearance. The design used a glass roof and sliding glass doors, allowing the cabin to feel more open than that of many contemporary small cars. Plastic inflatable seats added another unconventional element and reflected the period's interest in lightweight, adaptable and futuristic interior treatments. Underneath the distinctive body, the car used a four-cylinder 1100 cc BMC engine and an automatic transmission. Modified Mini subframes carried the suspension components, and the car rode on Mini 10-inch wheels. These components provided a comparatively familiar technical foundation for a vehicle whose styling and packaging were highly unusual. Its reported maximum speed was 50 mph, or 80 km/h, consistent with a primarily urban and local-use role. Production took place in limited numbers between 1967 and 1968. The available sources do not provide a confirmed production quantity, detailed ownership history or evidence of continued manufacture after 1968. The model therefore occupies a niche place in British automotive history: it was not a long-running commercial range, but a short-lived experiment in small-car architecture. Its combination of a cube-like silhouette, transparent body elements, sliding access doors, inflatable seating and Mini-based running gear made it distinctive among British cars of the period. The Quasar-Unipower is also frequently discussed in connection with Universal Power Drives and the company's better-known Unipower GT, while remaining a separate vehicle with a different design purpose.

• 1968

  Production ends

  [1]Quasar-Unipoweren.wikipedia.org

  The limited production run concludes after approximately two years. The available reference does not specify the total number of vehicles built.

• 1967

  Limited production begins

  [1]Quasar-Unipoweren.wikipedia.org

  Universal Power Drives begins producing the Quasar-Unipower at Perivale, Middlesex, England. The car features a cube-like body, glass roof, sliding glass doors and plastic inflatable seats.

A limited-production, design-led compact automobile with an unconventional cube-like body and urban-oriented mechanical specification.

• Compact automobile · 1967

  Quasar-Unipower

  The Quasar-Unipower was a small, limited-production car with a cube-like body wider than it was long. Its design used a glass roof, sliding glass doors and plastic inflatable seats, giving the cabin an experimental and highly unconventional character. Power came from a four-cylinder 1100 cc BMC engine connected to an automatic transmission. Modified Mini subframes supported the suspension, and Mini 10-inch wheels were used. The reported top speed was 50 mph, or 80 km/h. Production took place in England during 1967 and 1968.

1. 1Quasar-Unipoweren.wikipedia.org