Description
The Cox GTM was the brainchild of Cheshire Renault Dealer Bernard Cox, and developed by his friend Jack Hosker. GTM meant ‘Grand Touring Mini’. Cox was interested in motorsport and had raced the Ford-based Elva Couriers in the late 1950s. The design brief for his GTM was that it had to be low, mid-engined and out-handle a Mini! It also had to be track-capable. The company was founded in 1967 and the GTM wasa contemporary of another mid-engined fibreglass car, the Lotus Europa. The GTM has the distinction of being the first mid-engined British kit-car. The clever design used a steel semi-monocoque, using Mini front and rear subframes, and a glass-fibre body. The Mini engine was fitted to the rear subframe, for a mid-engine lay-out, creating a compact two-seater coupe, with the agility and performance of a Mini Cooper. Cox originally built 55 cars, before selling the design to Howard Heerey, who continued producing another 170 models until 1971. Since then, the name and designs have passed through a number of owners, In late 2015 Hambly Sports Cars Ltd. purchased the Primo (ex GTM) Coupe Project and apparently are able to supply spare parts for these classic mini-based kit cars.
A rare sight on UK roads, this particular Cox GTM is very special, being fitted with a Mini Cooper 1071cc engine - a legendary unit only produced for around 18 months, before being replaced by the 1275cc engine. On the road, this is tremendous fun with a superb exhaust note produced by the Cooper engine. It is very lively and has tremendous grip. The brakes are excellent and the gearbox synchro's are exceptionally good. Interestingly, the comprehensive history file includes a set of factory blueprints. The car recently benefitted from new seats and is well presented throughout. The component detail of the GTM is also interesting with period Triumph switchgear and instrumentation as well as the distinctive BMW 2002 rear lights. At a time when a standard 1071 Mini Cooper can command prices over £50, 000, we think the agile and eye-catching little GTM looks great value.
