Author Topic: Solved NIC#960 - Croysdill Special based on 1967 Vitesse 6 (Read 1596 times)

You found it at last. It's based on a 1967 Vitesse 6 - he built 3 altogether, one for himself, one for his wife and one for a friend.

It was the subject of one of the "My Classic" articles in Classic & Sportscar magazine quite recently. Lovely looking car for a homebuilt.

Djetset · « **Reply #42 on:** August 28, 2018, 08:22:51 AM »

Hmm, it looks pretty identical to the Triumph-based Leopard Craft, built between 1991-94 (photo to follow). I wonder if either bought the rights to the car, or has taken one and just stuck is own name of it?!

nicanary · « **Reply #43 on:** August 28, 2018, 10:58:36 AM »

Quote from: Djetset on August 28, 2018, 08:22:51 AM

Hmm, it looks pretty identical to the Triumph-based Leopard Craft, built between 1991-94 (photo to follow). I wonder if either bought the rights to the car, or has taken one and just stuck is own name of it?!

I've had a quick look at a Leopard Craft, and I see what you mean. There's not much on the web about the Croysdill cars, but one was sold and the blurb mentions a GRP body built by Croysdill with an aluminium bonnet. Apparently he had been a boatbuilder and engineer, so I suppose we can assume that he was capable of building a car from scratch.

Maybe he used a Leopard Craft body as a mould?

Carnut · « **Reply #44 on:** August 28, 2018, 12:13:39 PM »

Many's the time someone says they've hand-built a car from scratch to their own design when those (few) really in the know can clearly see that it's a proprietary GRP body from the 1950s/early 1960s...

nicanary · « **Reply #45 on:** August 28, 2018, 01:24:38 PM »

Quote from: Carnut on August 28, 2018, 12:13:39 PM

Many's the time someone says they've hand-built a car from scratch to their own design when those (few) really in the know can clearly see that it's a proprietary GRP body from the 1950s/early 1960s...

Indeed. We see it all the time on social media, "the car my dad built in the 1950s". I suppose in a way it's no different to the kit cars of more recent times - people are still proud of their achievement (and rightly so) even though it was simply put together from proprietary parts either supplied or recommended by the kit car company.

It's quite possible that Reg Croysdill built his own Leopard Craft, his wife then wanted one, and then a friend asked him to build one as well. It's difficult now to take this puzzle further - we have no evidence as to what actually happened. Sorry if my puzzle stirred up a hornet's nest! I notice that this car was built on a stretched Vitesse chassis. Does anyone know if that was the basis of the Leopard Craft?

Djetset · « **Reply #46 on:** August 28, 2018, 01:26:46 PM »

No hornet's nest stirred at all, but yes, the Leopard Craft was also based on a Herald/Vitesse chassis, using the latter's straight-six engine.

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Author Topic: Solved NIC#960 - Croysdill Special based on 1967 Vitesse 6 (Read 1596 times)