Last month we established that the age old notion of there being 13
original Nagari sports was a bit out and we counted 19. Well, car number 108 turned out to be a coupe. However, in the late 70s this black one was built and took the previously unused number 13. It was built by Tony Grant, who worked at the factory, for himself. He made himself a body and the chassis was one that they had at the factory with wheels or castors underneath and was used for moving newly made bodies around. So that's back to 19 again. Tony was the one at the launch of the NEW Nagari who was offering crayfish in exchange for one of the new cars. That's not such an unusual practice. My brother-in-law thinks that crayfish is legal tender in Australia and has stayed in many a hotel in exchange for a few crays. These photos were taken at Calder at the launch of the Ikara. They were successful in getting an example of each of the models for display and the black car was the Mk.8 sports example. It's the only black one I know of.
Look at the bonnet bulge on the silver Nagari coupe. It's off-centre. Was this one of the very rare six cylinder ones? I can't remember.
Here's the latest list of chassis numbers of original Nagari sports:- 13, 47, 55, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 77, 78, 81, 82, 111, 112 and 119. Any more corrections?
Look at the bonnet bulge on the silver Nagari coupe. It's off-centre. Was this one of the very rare six cylinder ones? I can't remember.
Here's the latest list of chassis numbers of original Nagari sports:- 13, 47, 55, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 77, 78, 81, 82, 111, 112 and 119. Any more corrections?
history on the green Mark 5?
ReplyDeleteGeorge Di Palma has owned that car since I don't know when. Graham, you have actually been in the same room as him. He was at the Mark 10 launch. Hi George.
ReplyDeleteThe silver Nagari is B8/25. Dad owns the car and i was wondering if you have any other photos or information about the car.
ReplyDeletethnx william
I was just about to post a comment when your post bobbed up. What I was going to say was that after a second look maybe that bonnet bulge isn't off centre. You must be Bill Junior. Am I right in suggesting that you were with your dad at the launch of the new Nagari? The only information I have on the car is that it was once a show car with chromed suspension and a white chassis and that its first owner was Dr. Kurt Penzold.
ReplyDeleteYeh we were at the launch with my ounger brother, we r off to the left in the big picture. what you have mentioned is all we know about the car. It is a 289 windsor nat a six cylinder though. Peter Garvin suggested Paul Rundell was the owner at the tme these pictures were taken, you wouldn't happen t know if he is still around.
ReplyDeletewilliam
I don't really know Paul Rundell but somebody reading this might.
ReplyDeleteWilliam, I've just turned up some notes that I had made at the Ikara release on the 2nd November 1979 and had noted that the silver Nagari coupe, IWW476, was the ex Andrew Newman car. Does that ring a bell with anybody?
ReplyDeleteJohn, belatedly the info on the black Sports is incorrect, it is not B8/13 but B8/130 (I think). The donor damaged coupe was bought by Tony Grant about 1975, it had been severly damaged by previous owner Paul Stork, the wreck had been the subject of a photo in "The Age", so far we have been unable to determine what number the original car carried. Anyway Tony Grant built his Sports from a new spare chassis and a new Sports body. I hope this tidies this one up a little. In conclusion our original count of 18 factory Sports is correct.
ReplyDeletePeterG