There have been some fascinating British cars made over the years. Some of them will leave you puzzled and wonder why they ever made that. Like the Reliant Robin, for example. Then there are cars that probably should have been more mainstream but weren’t. The thing is if you don’t have an established name as a carmaker and billions of dollars, it can be hard to make it in the industry. But, that doesn't mean companies didn't try to make a mark. The cars might not have been a commercial success, but they are still pretty cool. Here are 10 obscure British cars that you may never have even heard of.
10 Reliant Scimitar SS1
The Reliant Scimitar was brought to the market to replace the MGB-shaped whole left in Britain’s hearts in 1984. Similar to a Mazda Miata for those not familiar with the MG. The Scimitar had a Ford CVH engine. It had independent suspension. It had all the ingredients to be a hit, but the build quality was just not there and the Ford Fiesta engines were not very powerful; 96 horsepower in the 1600 model. In 1986 Reliant ditched the Ford engines and offered a 1.8-liter turbocharged Nissan Silvia engine, but people had already made up their minds about the Scimitar and didn’t buy it even with the better engine.
9 Gilbern Invader
Gilbern is one of the few car brands to ever come out of Whales. The Invader was an improved version of Gilbern’s Genie. It featured a 3.0-liter Ford Essex V-6 with fuel injection. The body was fiberglass. The suspension came from MGC It was produced from 1969 to 1973. The Invader interior was luxurious with walnut trim and power windows. It looks like the strange love child of a Ford Pinto and a Maserati Biturbo. There was a total of 603 Invaders made. A rare gem today.
8 Arash LM
You don’t need any creams or ointments for the Arash LM. The LM was the first every car produced by Arash in 2002. The LM was inspired by the supercars of the 1990s. It has a carbon fiber body and a steel chassis. LM is powered by an Audi twin-turbo V-6 and offers 620 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque. 0-60 takes just 3.3 seconds, and it has a top speed of 200 miles per hour. It weighs just 800kg or 1764 pounds. Only one was ever made. Arash has made several other models since then and is still in business today.
7 Ascari Ecosse
Lee Noble himself designed the Ascari FGT concept car in 1995 which became the Ecosse. Klaas Zwart saw the car at the British Motor Show in 1995 and bought the car and the Ascari car company for himself. The FGT had a Chevy V-8 in it originally but was later upgraded to a BMW 4.4-liter V-8 that offered 300 horsepower. The car was mid-engined and had a top speed of 200 miles per hour. 0-60 took right around four seconds. Lee Noble went on to start his own car company: Noble. Only nineteen Ascari Ecosses were ever made.
6 Reliant Robin
The Robin is a three-wheeled car introduced in 1973. You could say it’s part motorcycle or autocycle. It was a very small, lightweight car that had room for two passengers. At first, the cars only featured a 750cc engine, but later were upgraded to a whopping 850cc engine that offered 33 horsepower. Hold on to your butts cause this baby will do 0-60 mph in 16.2 seconds. The top speed was 75 to 85 miles per hour. The Reliant Robin was laughed at by all who saw one because if you take a corner in one at more than 5 miles per hour, it’s liable to roll over.
5 Gibbs Aquada
It’s a car; it’s a boat; it’s an Aquada. This bizarre amphibious vehicle looks like something you’d drive in GTA V. It has a 2.5-liter V-6 that offers 175 horsepower. It has a 4-speed automatic transmission on land and a jet-ski style propulsion system in the water. The Aquada has a top speed of 100 miles per hour on pavement and 34.7 on water. It has Mclaren F1 style seating with the driver’s seat in the middle of the car, and there are two other seats for passengers on either side. There are no doors or roof on the Gibbs Aquada and if you think about it, that’s a safety feature. You wouldn’t want to be in the water with the doors closed and a roof if something does go wrong. The only major downside to the Gibbs is the price tag. Today you can get a used one for around $150,000. Originally they were over $200,000.
4 Midas Excelsior
Midas is a bit of a wildcard on this list because it’s actually a kit car. Midas Mark 1 debuted in 1978. Every Midas has a completely composite body that fits onto a stripped-down donor car like a Mini Cooper or a Rover Metro. Midas had the first composite car to pass the 30 miles per hour crash test along with other relevant safety tests like seatbelts. The Excelsior is a convertible that was introduced in 2002 and is based on the Rover. They offer a variety of engine options between 1100cc and 1800cc. Maybe Hennessey should take one and drop a twin-turbo V-8 in one. Unfortunately, that would probably take up the whole chassis.
3 Zenos E10S/E10R
The Zenos E10S is like a Mazda Miata on steroids. It’s a high-performance, lightweight sports car. The lightweight body is constructed of a narrow aluminum chassis and a carbon fiber monocoque. It features the engine out of a Ford Focus ST: the 2.0-liter Ecoboost offering 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It has wishbone suspension for a more supple ride. 0-60 miles per hour takes four seconds. For comparison, the 2022 MX-5 takes 5.7 seconds to get to sixty. If you think that’s good, there’s an even hotter version: E10R. It has the Focus RS engine, which is a 2.3-liter Ecoboost with 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. 0-60 mph is done in just 3.0 seconds. It makes you wonder why Ford didn’t make this car!
2 Ginetta Akula
The Akula is a supercar by Ginetta who has been making cars for 60 years. It has an all carbon-fiber monocoque causing it to only weigh 2535 pounds. If that sounds like a lot, a Ford Fiesta weighs 2600 pounds. Most of that weight comes from a 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V-8 offering 600 horsepower. The top speed is 200 miles per hour. The Akula is mid-engine and rear-wheel drive. It features a 6-speed paddle-shift transmission. The Akula costs 340,000 pounds which equates to about $384,352 American today.
1 Bristol Fighter
The Bristol Fighter is basically a British cover version of a Dodge Viper . Bristol was an aircraft manufacturer during WWI and WWII. The Fighter is a two-door supercar with a turbocharged 8.0-liter V-10 from the Viper. This version of the engine features 1,012 horsepower and 1,036 pound-feet of torque. It has better aerodynamics than the Viper too. With the help of a former F1 team member, they shaped the Fighter down to a 0.28 drag coefficient. It also features fancy Goldwing doors. If you thought your Viper got you a lot of attention in the parking lot. This is something else. 0-60 takes 3.5 seconds. The car is limited to a 225 miles per hour speed, but take off the governor and it is capable of a massive 270 miles per hour. That’s Bugatti and Koenigsegg territory.