Argyll (car)

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Argyll was a Scottish car manufactured from 1976 by ex-Mini racer and turbocharger expert Bob Henderson in Lochgilphead. The new car was named after the original Argyll of 1898, in honour of a grandfather of one of the investors who worked in the Argyll factory at Alexandria near Glasgow.

The only model was the Argyll GT or Turbo GT, which was based on a sturdy box section chassis with space frame clothed in a glass fibre body shell made next door to the old Arrol-Johnston factory in Dumfries by Solway Marine. The suspension came from the Triumph 2500 and the gearbox was a ZF 5 speed unit. The car was mid engined and powered by a choice of engines, including a normal or turbocharged Rover V8 engine, a Straight-4 Saab and the Douvrin Euro V6 as used by Renault, Peugeot and others. By undoing 10 bolts, the entire rear end, suspension, gearbox and engine came away. A top speed of 160 mph (200 km/h) with the turbo V8 was claimed.

Only a handful were built each using components from other manufacturers, it had limited appeal, poor sales and the company ultimately folded around 1990.