Locust (car)

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BWE
Type Manufacturing Company
Industry Automobiles
Founded April 2000 by Bev Evans
Headquarters 13 Knowsley St,Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England
Products Locust, Hornet, Grasshopper
Completed Locust.
The Locust chassis.
Making the body.
Chassis and body. Missing bonnet(hood) and nosecone.
Ford Crossflow Engined Locust.
Triumph based Locust.
Fiat Twin Cam Engined Locust.

Locust is a kit car inspired by the Lotus 7.

The Locust Seven differs from most other Lotus / kit cars in that it does not use a space frame chassis, but a ladder frame and a body constructed from three 8ft by 4ft sheets of 3/4" thick exterior grade or marine plywood alternatively MDF sheets. Once complete, the body tub is skinned with aluminium sheet.

The original design was by John Cowperthwaite (who also designed the JC Midge[1]) and it was sold as the JC Locust by J.C. Auto Patterns. A copy of the original brochure can be viewed here. [2]Later the production rights was taken over by T&J Sportscars who also introduced a Ford Cortina based version called the Hornet. A copy of the T&J brochure featuring the Locust and Midge can be viewed here.[3]It was then taken over by White Rose Vehicles (WRV) who developed the Locust into Locust ES and also introduced the Ford Sierra based Locust SIII. In April 2000 the Locust ES was taken over by BWE Sportcars who also makes the Hornet and the Grasshopper (electric car for children). The Sierra based Series III was taken over by Road Tech Engineering.

The chassis can be either Ford or Triumph based. The most popular chassis is for Ford components and most are fitted with a combination of Ford Escort MkII and Ford Cortina Mk IV running gear. The original car used either Triumph or Ford Cortina Front Suspension but over the years many variations and subtle changes in chassis design have taken place. There is an option from the manufacturer for double front wishbones and coil over shocks. Any engine that fits between the chassis rails can be mounted. Depending on which engine and carburettor are fitted, various holes and bulges will have to be fitted to the bonnet.

The story of the Locust Seven can be found in the book Lotus Seven & The Independents by Dennis Ortenburger [4] (ISBN 1-902351-12-6)

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mobc.co.uk/
  2. ↑ http://www.locust.org.uk/about/brochures/jcpage1.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.locust.org.uk/about/brochures/tjpage1.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.coteriepress.com/CP_ProductDetail_01.php?Productid=43

See also

  • Lotus Seven
  • Locost - a similar concept to the Locust, but with a welded space frame chassis

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Locust vehicles.
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