Davrian
| British Sportscar Manufacturer | |
| Industry | Automobiles |
| Fate | Receivership |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | Adrian Evans and David Clarke (Dav-rian) |
| Headquarters | Lampeter Wales, United Kingdom |
Davrian cars were built by Davrian Developments[1] at 65 North Street, Clapham in London, England, from 1965[1] to 1976, in Tregaron, Dyfed, Wales from 1976 to 1980 and Lampeter, Dyfed, from 1980 to 1983.
Adrian Evans (d. 1992), a structural engineer and the car's designer, built a series of cars called Davrian from 1965, Co-designed by ex-Ferrari engineer and Formula One driver Mike Parkes,[1] the Davrian used a 875 or 998 cc (53.4 or 60.9 cu in)[1] aluminium alloy Hillman Imp engine based on the Coventry Climax.[2]
Davrian 1965–83
| Davrian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Davrian Developments |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 875 or 998 cc Hillman Imp |
In 1967, the design had settled to a 2-seat glass fibre monocoque coupé, officially called the Davrian Demon or Davrian Imp and series production started with a company being formed called Davrian Developments. The cars were sold in kit form. A variety of power units were offered including Mini (for mid-mounting),[1] Type 1 (for rear-mounting),[1] and Ford Fiesta. The car weighed in at 4 cwt (448 lb (203 kg)).[1]
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Over the years a series of improvements led the cars to go through Marks I to 8. They proved very popular in amateur hands as rally and circuit racing cars.
In 1980 the Mk8 was offered as a complete car called the Davrian Dragon. This was mid-engined and used Ford Fiesta components and engine. The company was insufficiently capitalised for this operation, and went into receivership in 1983.[2] This car was subsequently relaunched as the Corry and the earlier more basic versions continued being made in the same premises but under new ownership as the Darrian.
Corry 1983–85
The rights to the Dragon were bought by Will Corry and production transferred to Lisburn, Northern Ireland, to be built by the newly founded Corry Car Company.[2] The body was restyled by Tony Stevens[2] and the name changed to the Corry Cultra.[3] Ford engines and were used and the suspension was based on that of the Mk III Cortina. The cars were mostly sold for competition use, but a few road-going versions were made.
Darrian 1986 onwards
The Darrian was a revival of the original Davrian in the old factory.[2] The body was considerably modified and the car became mid-engined. Like the Davrian, the Darrian is built using a glass-fibre composite monocoque body construction. The engine was usually from a Ford, but the Rover V8 or Vauxhall 16-valve units were options.
In 1996, Swansea Institute Team Darrian (SITD) took outright honours in the Privilege Insurance British GT Championship.[4]
The company also built a limited number of replicas of the Renault Alpine A110 rally car, known as the Monte Carlo MC220 Berlinette.
Now based in Llangybi, near Lampeter and owned by Tim Duffee, Darrians continue to be built and raced with great success, performing many giant-killing acts. The current model is the Darrian T90GTR, usually fitted with the Millington 2.5 16v 4-cylinder racing engine producing 300BHP, mated to a Hewland tranaxle.
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Northey, Tom, ed. (1974). "Davrian: Something Special for the Enthusiast". World of Automobiles 5. Orbis.
- Jones, Martyn Morgan (2001). Davrian to Darrian : the illustrated history. Witney: Bookmarque. ISBN 1870519655.