Back in the '80s, classic Jaguars were popular subjects for replication. While there has been a recent small resurgence in replicating Jaguar kits, 20 years ago various kit car companies made kits based on SS-100s, XK-120s, D-Types, C-Types, XKEs, and the one-off XJ-13 prototype. Gerard Coach in Kirkland, Washington, started making replicas of antique autos, then switched to a popular replica of one of the most fabulous Jags of all times, the XK-SS.
The predecessor of Gerard Coach was Omna-Auto, a kit car company founded in the late '70s by Alan Gerard and his sons, Alan Jr. and Klee. Omna-auto made a number of VW-based replicas of antique cars. The Rumbleseat Roadster looked a lot like a '10 Renault and featured tall, skinny wire wheels, brass trim, and a tall, vertical windshield. However, only the prototype was sold. They also made a vintage truck, the Oldbug, with an early-1900s look. Alan Jr. recalls that five to ten were built.
Omna-Auto added two more products that were simple body kits for customizing the VW Beetle. The Bugbox added a delivery truck tail to a cut-down Beetle, but it was expensive to package and ship so only ten were sold. The Flatbed turned a Bug into a small pickup truck and it was Omna-Autos' most popular model with more than 400 happy customers.
In Like a LionIn 1977, Omna-Auto was closed and a new company, Gerard Coach, replaced it. This was a division of Alan Gerard Design, which worked on industrial and retail projects. Alan Gerard, Sr., was an engineer who collected real Jaguars, so he wanted to build something more sophisticated than his previous fare. Alan Jr. was the designer and Klee was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the company. Being Jag enthusiasts, they naturally wanted to replicate the most exotic Jag of all, the XK-SS.
The Jaguar XK-SS, a street version of the famous D-Type racing car that won LeMans from 1955 to 1957, was the Holy Grail of Jaguardom. Among the few changes from the race car was the addition of a full-height windshield and full interior and the removal of the distinctive headrest behind the driver. The XK-SS used a 3.4L twincam-six with triple Webers and dry sump lubrication pumping out 250 hp. It had four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes and a live axle in back. Only 16 were built before a fire wiped out the tooling and ended the project, making the XK-SS a rare and hyper-expensive collector item (today an XK-SS sells for over $700,000). To Gerard Coach this was the most coveted of Jags and they set about replicating it.
The new project was named the Gerard Lion and was based on a simple chassis hacked out of a Chevy Chevelle frame that was shortened, narrowed, and strengthened. Suspension was modified Chevy up front, with a live axle mounted by coil springs and a four-link setup in back. Drum brakes were standard, with front or four-wheel discs optional. There were a number of suspension options, including a Special Handling Kit that could be tailored to the driver. General Motors manual or power steering was offered.
The basic XK-SS shape was lengthened and widened to provide more room for passengers. The Lion also sported a small trunk, a luxury omitted on the original XK-SS. Buyers could opt for a variety of GM V-6 engines or, with a few modifications, a Chevy small-block V-8. Either automatic or four- or five-speed manual transmissions could be specified.