Davrian
| Company type | British Sportscar Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automobiles |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | David Clarke and Adrian Evans (Dav-rian) |
| Fate | Receivership |
| Headquarters | Lampeter, Wales , United Kingdom |
Davrian cars were built by Davrian Developments[1] at 65 North Street, Clapham in London, England, from 1965[1] to 1976, in Tregaron, Dyfed, Wales from 1976 to 1980 and Lampeter, Dyfed, from 1980 to 1983.
Adrian Evans (d. 1992), a structural engineer and the car's designer, built a series of cars called Davrian from 1965, based on components from the Hillman Imp, including the front and rear suspension, the 875 or 998 cc (53.4 or 60.9 cu in)[1] aluminium alloy Hillman Imp engine which was Coventry Climax-based[2] and the Imp transaxle.
Davrian 1965–83[edit]
| Davrian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Davrian Developments |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 875 or 998 cc Hillman Imp |
In 1967, the design had settled to a 2-seat glass fibre monocoque coupé, officially called the Davrian Imp and series production started with a company being formed called Davrian Developments. The cars were sold in kit form. Over time, a variety of power units were offered including the Mini-engined Davrian Demon (mid-mounted),[1] Volkswagen Beetle Type 1 (rear-mounted),[1] Renault (rear-mounted), and Ford Fiesta (mid-mounted). The car weighed in at 8 long cwt (900 lb; 410 kg).
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Over the years, a series of improvements led the cars to go through Marks 1 to 8. They proved very popular in amateur hands as rally and circuit racing cars.
In 1980, the Mk8 was offered as a complete car called the Davrian Dragon. This was mid-engined and used Ford Fiesta components and engine. The company was insufficiently capitalised for this operation, and went into receivership in 1983.[2] This car was subsequently relaunched as the Corry and the earlier more basic versions continued being made in the same premises but under new ownership as the Darrian.
Corry 1983–85[edit]
The rights to the Dragon were bought by Will Corry and production transferred to Lisburn, Northern Ireland, to be built by the newly founded Corry Car Company.[2] The body was restyled by Tony Stevens[2] and the name changed to the Corry Cultra.[3] Ford engines and were used and the suspension was based on that of the Mk III Cortina. The cars were mostly sold for competition use, but a few road-going versions were made.
Darrian 1986 onwards[edit]
The Darrian was a revival of the original Davrian in the old factory.[2] The body was considerably modified and the car became mid-engined. Like the Davrian, the Darrian is built using a glass-fibre composite monocoque body construction. The engine was usually from a Ford, but the Rover V8 or Vauxhall 16-valve units were options.
In 1996, Swansea Institute Team Darrian (SITD) took outright honours in the Privilege Insurance British GT Championship.[4]
The company also built a limited number of replicas of the Renault Alpine A110 rally car, known as the Monte Carlo MC220 Berlinette.[citation needed]
Now based in Llangybi, near Lampeter and owned by Tim Duffee, Darrians continue to be built and raced with great success, performing many giant-killing acts.[citation needed] The current model is the Darrian T90GTR, usually fitted with the Millington 2.5 16v 4-cylinder racing engine producing 300BHP, mated to a Hewland transaxle.[citation needed]
References[edit]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e Northey (1974), p. 500.
- ^ a b c d e Georgano, G.N. (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London: HMSO. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
- ^ Robson, G. (2006). A–Z of British Cars 1945–1980. Devon, UK: Herridge Books. ISBN 0-9541063-9-3.
- ^ "Darrian History". Darrian. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008.
Bibliography
- Northey, Tom, ed. (1974). "Davrian: Something Special for the Enthusiast". World of Automobiles. Vol. 5. Orbis.
- Jones, Martyn Morgan (2001). Davrian to Darrian : the illustrated history. Witney: Bookmarque. ISBN 1870519655.