Djetset #495

[Djetset]

Oh, the joys of a long Festive break, giving me time to finally find the origins of this puzzle.  So far two points have been awarded for correctly identifying versions of this car, but the actual vehicle in the photograph is neither a Roamer, nor a Moons Moke (and not by GB Restorations either).  So, what is this car called?

[WayneB]

Thought I had it, but I didnt.

[Djetset]

Keep on searching; the truth is out there somewhere...

[Oguerrerob]

Looks similar. This is tagged as Roamer pick-up Metro based

[Djetset]

Excuse the slow reply, but as previously mentioned, the car in my photo is not a Roamer, although this vehicle did become a Roamer in later life.

I have fully researched this one again, just to make certain that I didn't miss the full correct name for the actual car in the photo, but I haven't, so although it is related to some of the previous guesses (GL, Roamer) this name of this car is neither of those, so keep on trying...

[Oswald]

This has been a while...
Is it the Arividerci Winchester?

[Djetset]

Sorry, it's not a Winchester.

[Oguerrerob]

I've found an article in very known website trying to track George Davies' car evolution, so I copy-paste

Who knows more about the cars of George Davis?
I've been hoping to get in touch with a man named George Davis for ages now, but so far without any luck. Why? Well, Davis built a couple of Mini and Metro based utilities in the spirit of the Mini Moke. He previously worked for Austin in Longbridge but started his own company GB restorations in the late 1980s or early 1990s, offering cars from two different addresses in Birmingham and Bromsgrove. First there was the Winchester, which developed into the Roamer. A third variant was known as the Moon's Moke and although this car looked very similar, it was once again offered from a different company: GL Enterprises in Birmingham.

I have been counting the number of different cars that I found out about in magazines and from pictures in my files and I believe there were at least 10 different ones, a list of the ones with registrations below. Now: I'd like to learn about the details and preferably speak to George Davis himself. Do get in touch by placing a comment below, or drop me a line on ... when you know more.

PUE 269R - registered as a 1976 Morris
MDV 794W - registered as a 1980 Austin Mini Metro L
MOB 406X - registered as a 1981 Austin Metro
DGD 997X - registered as a 1981 Austin Metro
RAW 645X - registered as a 1982 Austin Metro L
EUE 833Y - registered as a 1983 Austin Metro City
A805 XOH - registered as a 1984 Austin Metro City

I have no address details for GL Enterprises, but the addresses for Davis' company GB Restorations were:

Unit 4, The Mill Walk
Hawkesley Mill
Birmingham

Dept KCI
257 Old Birmingham Road
Bromsgrove

[Djetset]

Thank you for reviving this one Oguerrerob, and thanks too for the extra images and information.

The details you have posted are taken from an old copy of the British Kit Cars International (KCI) magazine (hence the reference to Dept KCI in the address at the bottom of the piece, and the GB Restorations info, etc., relates to this car when it was offered as a self-build kit.

As the car's creator George Davis (along with fellow ex-British Leyland Longbridge employee Bill Pedlington) couldn't make this car work commercially as a kit car, they re-engineered and updated it into the form of this puzzle photograph, under a different name, which is the name I am still looking for.  Sorry that it still remains open as a puzzle after five years, but all of the additional information we have both mow added may help to find the final answer 

[Mogul]

Is it a GL ENTERPRISES 1992 Moon Moke?

[Mogul]

Sorry, Moons Moke

[Paul Jaray]

Moons Moke, by GL Enterprises?
BTW Quiller already guessed Roamer..

[Djetset]

Sorry Mogul, as PJ has just highlighted, we've already had mention of the GL Enterprises Moons, and this version is not quite the same car... 

[Skut]

Is it a Metro Mobile? I'm sure I saw the same photo and a small article in Auto Express sometime in the 90s.

[Skut]

Metro Mobile?

[Djetset]

Metro Mobile?

Sorry, but not the name I have for it.