Letters To Kit Carchives
Lost Heritage
I have recently started to build a '34 Mercedes 500K kit. It was originally purchased from Classic Roadsters in 1992. As far as I can determine, most of the parts were received before the company shut down. On the chance I discover that some of the parts are missing, is there any other kit car company that currently sells this (or a similar) kit?
There used to be a company called Thoroughbred Motors that sold a similar kit. I believe they were located in the Northwest. Heritage Motor Cars in Miami was at one time building Classic Roadsters kits and selling them to an auto leasing company. Is Heritage still around or has it gone the way of the others? Is any other company marketing the kit that Heritage was building?Ernest R. PedenLa Quinta, California
Our favorite Elvis impersonator (and Heritage 500K owner) Ron Allyn Swartley helped us out on this one. According to legal documents, Heritage Marketing sold its equipment and inventory to Classic Roadsters in December 1991. Classic Roadsters filed for bankruptcy in September 1992. They re-opened in 1994 but didn't last long. They were recently purchased, and the new company, under new management, operates as Classic Roadsters II out of Sauk Centre, Minnesota (888/SC-COBRA). The 500K, however, is NOT in the current inventory, which includes a Cobra, Badlands Military-inspired sports-ute vehicle, and Healey Sebring. The whereabouts of the remaining 500K parts are currently unknown. Thoroughbred Motors, Indy Exotics, and Elegant Motors sold the same basic kit, but they are also R.I.P. Does anyone out there know any more?
Lost Kit Collector
Now that my kids are grown and out the door, I can start thinking about my hidden passion to construct my own racy vehicle. However, of the three machines I've always loved, none appear to be available anymore. They are the Apollo Verona, the Marlene, and the Morgan roadster. Do these kits still exist, and where can a person obtain up-to-date material concerning them? All leads would be greatly appreciated.Clyde GillespieManassa, Virginia
I have good news and bad news for you. According to original Verona builder Milt Brown (miltbrown@motorsportscenter.com), the Verona is still being built in Germany. It's only sold as a turnkey car and uses BMW running gear. Contact Yurgen Warmuth at 011-49-6021780708 (remember that Germany is nine hours ahead of East Coast US, so call in the mornings here). Brown is also working on an updated Verona (with a new name). Call him at (510) 704-0772.
The Marlene is currently out of production, although their old manufacturer, Classic Roadsters, is still building Cobra reps (see question above), Healeys, and Badlands sport-utes. The Morgan is an English sports car that has never been offered in kit form. They are still in business and going strong (with a 12-month waiting list). Their current Aero-Eight model is being raced here and in Europe. This is the last year that the old-style Morgan Plus 8 will be sold, so snatch one up now for a little over $69,000. Other current Morgans include two- and four-seat 4/4 models with four-cylinder engines. For more Morgan info visit their Web site at www.morgan-motor.co.uk. There you can locate an American dealer close to you.
There is also a Morgan replica built in England called the Tiger Hawke (www.tigerracing.com/cars/hamain.htm). It is based on English Ford parts and can be fitted with four-cylinder or Rover V-8 engines. Write them at: Tiger Racing, Ecco New Toll Service Station, Wisbech Rd., Dept. KC, Thorney Toll, N. Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 4AX. You certainly have good taste, all three of these are great-looking cars!
P4 Fan Many moons ago there was a company that made replicas of the Ferrari P4. I believe the company's name was Noble, and I believe they went out of business. Last year I saw what appeared to be another company making the P4 in coupe and convertible form. I need the name and address of that company. Sean Anderson San Luis Obispo, California
The Noble P4 is back in production in England as the Foreman Mk.4 and Can-Am. The Can-Am is a roadster replica of the modified P4 Ferraris (Type 350 Can-Am) that were run in the Can-Am series in 1967, while the Mk.4 is a replica of the P4 coupes that won the FIA Manufacturers' Championship in 1967 over the Ford GTs. Neither is an exact replica (the real Ferrari 350 Can-Am cars had no headlights), but they look great and are reasonably close. Contact Foreman on the Web at www.nfauto.co.uk or by mail at Redlands, Lindridge Ln., Dept. KC Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0JJ, UK. The Foreman P4s can be built with V-6, V-8, or V-12 engines.