More anecdotes

Do you like Spartans and want more ?

So, as Kit Car magazine headlined in 1988, here are some extras about them, to remember the history of Spartan Car Company and the wonderful cars designed by Jim McIntyre.

Test extra from 1988 Kit Car magazine — From 1988 Kit Car magazine

The pride of being a car manufacturer

If it has always been possible to buy the Spartans in the form of components, as early as January 1976, three years after the design of the first model on a Triumph base, Spartan was proud to announce that its cars could also be entirely produced in the factory.

Thus, it was now possible to order a new Spartan that would be delivered a few weeks later, ready to hit the road.

Factory-made Spartan cars — SPARTAN information published in press in January 1976

In 1992, the weekly « Auto Week » recalled that the Spartan, a traditional-looking sports car from Great Britain, was available as a kit and ready-to-use model :

The Spartan available in Kit or ready to use — Extract from the weekly Auto Week of 1992

A Gentleman’s Sporing Carriage

This is the title that Spartan had given to his last brochure.

It was produced with the help of the Spartan Owners Club and some of its members whose cars were presented.

A Gentleman’s Sporing Carriage - Spartan

A “chic and sparkling” car

It is with these words that we could translate the British humourous expression "wet and dry".

This was the title given by the magazine "Kitcars and Specials" to its article on the Spartans in 1985.

This article related the trial of two Spartans in very different places, the Côte d'Azur and Yorkshire.

On this occasion, Jim McIntyre, founder of the brand, specified that there was no link between the name of his cars and the famous Spartan warriors, but that it was more of a shameless referenceonhis part to the austerity that the country knew at the time.

He had strong convictions, great esteem and confidence in his employees, and a great knowledge of cars such as MG, Spitfire, TR, E-type, Morgan, Lotus and Aston Martin.

It was this broad knowledge that led him to produce his own cars, with their own design, and a desire to make them affordable and sustainable.

These Spartan trips had been an opportunity to review the elements that made up the cars, and a superb photo had been taken in Grimaud, in the south of France.

Spartan in France — Excerpt from "Kitcars and Specials" from 1985

Well-chosen original parts

In 1988, 15 years after designing the first Spartans, Jim McIntyre liked to recall that no other car made from parts from a major manufacturer used as many parts completely unchanged from the original model.

Now produced from the mechanical parts of the most popular model of the time in England, the Ford Cortina, the Spartan offered a higher level of performance and behaved better than the Cortina thanks to its much lower centre of gravity and lighter weight.

The Spartan also offered smooth driving thanks to its coil spring suspension.

The Spartan accepted the entire range of engines of the Cortina, the 1300, 1600, 2000 and 2300 cc, so that its owner could define the desired level of performance.

The choice of Cortina parts had also been made to allow owners to easily source everywhere.

Collectible card game

In 1978, the Swiss publishing house Edito-Service SA had marketed a set of 1500 collectable cards.

The purpose of this series called "Auto Rally" was to allow car enthusiasts to visualise each car through its photo on the front of its map, and to find information about its manufacturer and the model presented on the back.

The Spartan represented was one of the first, 2 places, on a Triumph basis.

Its bodywork was devoid of side vents and on the hood; and the grille was that of a Wosselet.

Edito-Service SA described the Spartan as follows:

« Traditional looks in a modern specialist small sports machine ».