This Badge originally belongs to Clan Gordon from Scotland
This article originally appeared in the March, 2010 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car.
"Gordon-Keeble automobiles may be virtually unknown here in the United States, despite their American-sourced drivetrains, but these handsome Gran Turismo coupés caused quite the stir in England in the early-mid 1960s, and they wear one of the most unusual emblems in all of automotive history.
A mere 99 fiberglass-bodied production Gordon-Keebles were built between 1963 and 1966 (one final example was constructed in 1971 from remaining parts), with financial troubles sadly ending an automaker that showed such promise upon launch. Tracing its start to engineer Jim Keeble and financier John Gordon, Gordon-Keeble was founded as a rival to Aston Martin, Maserati and Ferrari. Their prototype, unveiled at the 1960 Geneva Salon, featured a steel body--styled by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro and constructed by Carrozzeria Bertone--over Keeble's space-frame chassis, with a Chevrolet Corvette V-8 engine under-hood.
Roy Dowding, the chairman of the U.K.-based Gordon-Keeble Owners Club ( <<< link removed >>> ), shares the history behind the brand's emblems. "The badge with the motto and a stag's head is, of course, that of the Scottish Clan Gordon. John Gordon, former Managing Director of Peerless Cars and original mentor of the project that became the Gordon-Keeble, was entitled to use this.
"The prototype shown at Geneva Salon in 1960 bore a badge on the bonnet comprising just the inner part, the stag's head. The motto Bydand, incidentally, means 'abiding or remaining'--or in modern parlance, 'durable, immortal, steadfast, everlasting.' In view of the large number of Gordon-Keeble cars that have survived (92 of the 99 made, of which around 70 are still capable of use and several others 'await restoration'), the Clan motto was most appropriate, and would have been perfect as the car's badge.
"However, after the applauded launch in Geneva, a long and frustrating time was spent trying to put together the finance to begin production," Roy continues. "Eventually, in mid 1961, George Wansbrough, the former Chairman of Jowett Ltd., the innovative car maker from Bradford, Yorkshire, agreed to join the fledgling company and widen the search for investors. Both he and Gordon were forceful and opinionated personalities, and it was not long before they clashed at a board meeting. Gordon resigned, and though his name continued to be associated with the car, he withdrew the right to use the badge.
"Progressing to late 1963, a photo shoot was arranged for the brochure, prepared by Percy Lund, Humphries and Co.; Tim Parker, then sales coordinator with Automobile Connoisseur, accompanied the photographer," he explains. "At that time, there was no badge on the car. Seeing a tortoise wandering close by, Tim picked it up and placed it on the bonnet where the badge should have been, and is said to have quipped: 'There you are. The slowest animal sitting on the world's fastest four-seater.' George Wansbrough was amused by this and, aware of the indestructible nature of a tortoise shell, and the talking point such a badge would make, forthwith adopted the tortoise as the car's emblem." "
