Car Week: Gilbern was 'a truly Welsh car'

[Gilb]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-an ... 6-28383580


AS part of Car Week the Rhondda Leader looks back at the story of the only ever truly Welsh car.

With national pride emanating from its Red Dragon logo, The Gilbern car always had the Welsh look.

Born and bred in South Wales, never before had there been a car built of true Welsh spirit.

The cars were the brainchild of an unlikely professional partnership between a Welsh butcher and a former German prisoner-of-war.

Only through a chance meeting did Giles Smith, a master butcher from Church Village, and engineer Bernard Friese discuss building a one-off sports car to rival the Jaguars and Austins of the time.

So impressed with the original GT was local racing driver Peter Cottrell that he implored its creators to put it into production.

Soon enough production began, albeit on an initially small scale with the cars built in a shed behind Giles’ butchers shop.

Gilbern ceased trading in 1974 but the Gilbern name remains very much alive today with the 370- strong Gilbern Owners Club meeting regularly.

The club’s archivist Philip Ivimey, 48, said: “It still handles brilliantly and has a top speed of around 95 miles per hour, which is fast even by today’s standards.”



Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-an ... z1HVpuOhC1

[dronelebeau]

Great info gilb! Nice find! It's just delightful to know a lot of passionate owners out there are keeping the Gilbern name alive!

[Gilb]

Oh yes dronelebeau - and we're all meeting for National Day tomorrow in Warwick. Hopefully over 50 cars will be there...

Gilb