(first posted 12/8/2016) The complete list of Welsh automobile manufacturers is not exactly overly long, but perhaps the best known is Gilbern. That is not to say it is a household name, or something one would expect to find in Southern Alberta. The story of how this low-volume marque came to be is quite interesting, however. Founded in 1959, Gilbern got it name from a butcher and an engineer. That’s not to say its engineering was butchered, although its entrails are something of a hash.
Giles Smith was the butcher and Bernard Friese was the engineer; the first part of each of their names was combined to create the name Gilbern. But we are getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Smith, the butcher, was keen on acquiring one of the many fiberglass special sports cars of the time period. After meeting Friese, the engineer with experience in fiberglass, they undertook building a scratch-built one-off car instead. The first car was built in an out-building behind the butcher shop and after favorable reactions, they concluded it could go into series production.
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After a handful of cars were built, it was decided the car should be sold in kit form to take advantage of the favorable tax laws of the time. Unlike other kit cars, the Gilbern was truly complete, with the owner only having to fit the major mechanical components such as engine, gearbox, rear axle and exhaust. Very quickly the out-building behind the butcher shop was outgrown and Gilbern moved to a more suitable industrial site. The early cars were fitted with either a 948cc Austin A-series engine or 1098cc Coventry Climax four cylinder engine. An optional super charger could be fitted to the A-series. Most of the other greasy bits were sourced from the Austin A35 parts bin. Later 1.5L and 1.6L MG A engines became the norm before the MG B 1.8L replaced it also triggering a name change to GT1800. Other mechanical improvements were added over the production run of the GT. The car started off with steel wheels and leaf sprung rear suspension before transitioning to wire wheels with trailing arm rear suspension.
The GT model was more of a sports car, but in 1966 a new model replaced it, the Genie, which was a larger, 2+2, grand tourer. It was equipped with either a 2.5L or 3.0L Ford Essex V6. Tecalemit-Jackson fuel-injection could be fitted to the Ford engine but it is unclear how many were fitted with it (at least one demonstrator but likely very few others). A handful had an Austin Healey 3000 rear axle but most were fitted with a MG rear axle to cope with the greater power of the Ford engines as well as the car’s larger size. The rear suspension is coil sprung with trailing arms rather than the MG’s crude leaf spring suspension. Front suspension used some MG components (early cars with MG B and later ones MG C) but with coil springs. Steering was sourced from the MG B.
The early cars like our example were fitted with MG B wire wheels. If original the wire wheels make this car one of the first thirty to forty Genies made.
The Gilbern was not a inexpensive car so the interior was comfortable and well finished.
Customers could order any color of paint they wished for only a modest cost extra and while many left the factory in very unusual hues this example has a lovely but understated silver. Which is likely a re-spray, so we can’t be sure what color it originally was.
A Monza gas cap adds a bit of sporting style.
A personalized license plate gives curious onlookers a hint at the car’s identity. Like many low volume vehicles the tail lights were sourced from a more common vehicle, in this case a humble Ford Thames van.
While a handful of Gilbern’s were sold in the US this one is a more recent import and it sports right hand drive.
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Later Genies were equipped with light alloy wheels. The 2.5L variant was also dropped in 1968. A total of 197 Genies were produced between 1966 and 1969.
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At the tail end of the Genie run Gilbern was taken over by the ACE Company. The Invader was developed as a successor to the Genie. Released in 1969 the Invader featured a stronger chassis to combat complaints of the Genie’s chassis being prone to developing cracks. Additionally larger brakes were fitted while the Ford 3.0L remained as the engine. While looking very similar to the Genie the Invader was more upmarket and outfitted with electric windows and a walnut dashboard. 1971 saw a minor update to a MkII specification but the MkIII of 1972 saw a swap to Ford Cortina suspension as well as an uprated version of the familiar 3.0L engine. The body while similar looking was lower and wider. The car was now only available in fully built rather than component form.
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An estate variant of the Invader was also available. Production wrapped up in 1973 and 603 Invaders of all variations were produced. The high price of the Invaders led to low sales volumes and the Gilbern went through several owners before closing its doors in 1974.
While Welsh cars are not well known outside car enthusiast circles but the Gilbern is probably the most famous. An attractive fiberglass body, proven mechanical components with a torque rich V6 add up to an appealing product. Not a bad result for a butcher and engineer.
I stumbled across one of these just parked in a Melbourne street years ago. Had no idea what I was looking at, but its UKness was more than obvious. Egg-yolk yellow. These are handsome, if a bit bland. Sort of like a Zagato MG. Nice find.
That was probably the car I saw in St. Kilda back in the seventies. There can’t be many here.
Almost 20 years ago I found an Invader Mk3 for sale in Thomastown, I had a ride in it and it went quite well and my mate reported it sounded good from the outside too (had trumpet exhaust tips). However it needed a lot of work and I decided that a fibreglass kit car wasn’t the best idea as my only car. For a while afterwards I would occasionally detour to drive past to see if the car was still there, after a couple of years it disappeared.
I think there was either a Gilbern owner’s club in Australia or a listing of Australian cars in the UK club, and 5-10 in Australia.
http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-gilbern-gt-1800/
As a kid I loved the original GT. Did not know until reading the above link in BAT that only 300 had ever been made.
Aha! There’s one and a half Invaders near me. The whole one, which has been mechanically hopped up, looks very fetching in bright yellow, the remains of the other one look less than fetching in red lead primer. Both are owned by the Welshman who services one of the Canardmobiles.
Let me guess – the Turbo R?
Bwahahaa! No, the Dacia. The other one’s serviced by an independent specialist who did his apprenticeship with one of the main dealers. He even wears a brown workshop coat and sticks a pencil behind his ear! Mind you, his coffee is terrible.
Well, if he can service fine British machinery, maybe he knows how to make some good tea!
Those Gilbrens look like much more fun than they likely get credit for being.
Another oddball on the automotive landscape with an interesting history.
Well, the list of car makes I’ve never heard of just diminished by one. Fascinating history, and a great-looking car.
Particularly given that it’s an essentially home-made design, I find the car to be a wonderful combination of the period’s most favorable styling influences. Only the seemingly oversized tail lights stand out as being a contraction, but that’s a minor complaint. I’d love to see one of these in person.
Another I’ve never heard of, thanks for educating us.
this has surprisingly good lines and proportions for a low volume home brew car. Well done Smith and Freise!
I used to go yearly to the Watkins Glen vintage car weekend with a friend and we would always say, “I wish they would make some new classic cars. Every year the same thing.” What a rare morning to wake up and see something I didn’t know existed that is so cool. I guess I’ll add it to my list.
I’ve always loved the idea of a Gilbern Genie / Invader; in several respects it reminds me of a home-built Alfa 105 GTV.
Thanks for the article, David. It brings back memories, although I’ve never seen a Gilbern. Back in the late Sixties and early Seventies, I read about Gilberns and Reliants and other fascinating small British makers in the pages of “Car” and “The Autocar”. That Invader estate is striking, and I’d love to match one up against a Reliant Scimitar GTE.
I owned a Reliant Scimitar GTE for a short time and I would say its a slightly bigger car physically. The used the same Ford Essex V6 for a time.
I’d head of, and seen pictures of, the Gilbern Invader, which I always assumed was a fairly big deal for a small production automobile. I never realized there was a history of the company before the Invader.
Great find! I’ve read about them since their beginnings, but I can’t remember ever seeing one in the flesh. I agree with some of the others that it’s a pretty credible styling job for a homebrew car. There were a lot of fiberglass cottage-industry cars back then, and some of them were pretty atrocious.
Very sharp-looking cars, definitely owing the basic proportions to the Alfa GT coupes. Not a bad starting point… Great find!
The Invader estate is appealing, but odd to see a vinyl-ized longroof.
Useless fact dept: my mate Taff who owns one and a half of these tells me that the bumpers were sourced from the Triumph 2000. There, you can all sleep more easily now.
Like some others, I’d heard of these, primarily because my childhood automotive education primarily came from British car books my dad would bring home from trips to the U.K. (balanced by quick scans of Hot Rod and Road and Track magazines in the supermarket) but I’ve never seen one, and amazed that such a stunning example would exist in North America. A simple shape, but nicely proportioned and well detailed, compared to some better known British fiberglass concoctions, Marcos and Bristol coming to mind. Thanks for posting this!
Eleven (11) toggle switches!!
The Welsh take the Boy Scout Motto seriously.
Beautiful, I would love to have a Gilbern.
Excellent find! I remember “having a butcher’s” at a couple of these in the UK when I lived there in the late ’90s… Didn’t know the back story, thanks for that too.
Nice find, of something I haven’t seen on the road for a long time.
Beautiful. I’s like to concur with others that have claim some of the home brew cars were awful looking. This Gilbern has proportion, actual bumpers and looks as if it came from one of the large manufacturers.
I don’t think I’d ever tire of just gazing at one. For decades.
Makes me wonder if he was as good a butcher based on how nice the lines are on this car. That’s a finely cut roast Mr. Smith.
Nice, but I thought the only Welsh made car was the Denbeigh Super Chauvinist .Guess I was wrong.
My Dad and I own a GT1800 and planto have it back on the road in Sydney this year (2017).
I would liketo see others but with only 277 made this is not likley without travel affar.
Regards, Clive
This looks really good. It wasn’t clear to me how many were made in total, probably that isn’t easy to figure considering some were sold as kits. Amazing that some larger manufacturer didn’t snap this up because they could have sold a few in the U.S. I imagine.
The Alfa-Romeo Giulia Sprint GT arrived in 1963 and the Gilbern Genie with similar styling followed it in 1965. Was it a copy? I don’t know. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Invader, but I’d probably go with a version of the Alfa on the relative strength of its ergonomics and potential for personalization as a sporting conveyance.
Nice looking cars Ive seen one only it had the 3.0 Zephyr engine which had done the usual thing and eaten the oil pump drive but the dizzy kept turning so the bottom end was toasted not an issue back in the day discarded MK4 Zephyr engines were everywhere ripped out to make V8 implants.
I like it except for the front, looks too much like a Morris 1100.
Nifty. Why aren’t there more of them?