Lot Ended
Description
No. 110
of only 197 made; restored in the early 1990s including rebuilt engine and
only 9k miles since; overdrive gearbox; stainless steel exhaust; be
different!
Seen in the right light and from the right angle this car
could be an exotic mid-‘60s Alfa re-worked by an Italian Carrozzeria. In
which case, it would be worth ten times as much. But it’s not an Alfa, it was
made in Wales, and our estimate is surprisingly low for what is an extremely
rare car – only 197 Genies were made.
The styling is spot-on ‘60s
sharp-suited Italianate, the wheels could pass for Cromodoras and the car has
plenty of power on tap from its 3.0 Ford V6. The Gilbern is almost forgotten
nowadays and if you were to remove the Dragon badges who would know what you
were driving or what it was worth? It even has a whiff of Maserati Mexico about
it.
This 1969 Genie had a thorough restoration in the early 1990s, during
which it received its new Giallo Forte paintwork (having previously been red).
The engine was also rebuilt with a fast road camshaft, uprated oil pump, new
Weber 40DF15 carb, electronic ignition etc. Old MOTs (of which there are 21)
show that the mileage at this point was c.97k the odometer now showing 106,025
miles.
Our vendor acquired the Genie via Brightwells in 2018 to join a
collection of cars. He has kept it in good order with the aid of local Gilbern
specialist, Sporting Classic Marques of Llanelli who, among other jobs,
fabricated new stainless steel rear exhaust sections. Shortly after he acquired
the car he had it rolling road tuned, the dyno sheets showing 165bhp and
189lb/ft.
Although it no longer needs one, it has an MOT until April 2024
with just a couple of advisories (slight gearbox oil leak; front brakes
fluctuating slightly; chassis and suspension components have corrosion). Driven
over 120 miles to the sale, it has been starting promptly and running well as we
have moved it around on site with good 50psi oil pressure.
The Genie
uses all-British automotive components in a purpose-built chassis with
fibreglass bodywork and there is little to fear from what is a
soundly-engineered and straightforward car (no Italian histrionics here). This
rare and well-sorted example looks remarkably good value at the modest guide
price suggested.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907
or email james.dennison@brightwells.com