Lot details
Registration No: ATH171T
Chassis No: 0784T5IDI
Mot Expiry: June 2010

The Argyll was the brainchild of innovator (and former chief engineer of Short Aviation) Bob Henderson of Lochgilphead, who had already devised the Minnow-Fish carburettor and taught himself turbocharging in the infancy of this technology for cars. His mid-engined GT was built around an immensely strong spaceframe steel chassis designed to be extremely long-lived, and to accept various power units. But despite much interest from the motoring press in the early '70s, only a handful were built. The original prototype was Rover V8-powered, and the plan was to offer the PRV 'Douvrin' V6 engine or a turbo Saab engine - but the few customer cars appear to have had turbocharged Lancia twin-cam powertrains. An official launch took place at Inveraray Castle in October 1983 with a quoted price range of £25,000 to £30,000 - at a time when a Lotus Esprit Turbo cost £18,913, a Porsche 911 Carrera £21,464, and a Ferrari 308GTB quattrovalvole £26,181.

This car is believed but not warranted to be one of the prototypes, and has turbocharged Lancia 2-litre power. The GT rides on period Wolfrace five-slot wheels, and we are informed that it has covered only 4,060 miles, having spent most of its life in storage. Henderson's philosophy was that these bespoke cars ought to be completed to the whim of each customer, and it is thought it became part of a protracted dispute between Argyll and the trimmers to which it had been sent for finishing. The car was eventually purchased, and completed by Royale coach trimmers, whose plate it bears. The GT is now offered as a low-mileage, complete and running car with MOT, plus information sheets and correspondence from Argyll Cars. As the vendor says: "An extremely rare and stylish car which typifies a stylistically resurgent era". It is offered with a V5 registration document verifying that it is an Argyll - reputedly the only one of its kind registered in the UK.