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A radical sports car called the Piper GTT

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Created on April 20, 2013

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Jeroen Booij / Bruno von Rotz

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Jeroen Booij

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - the side windows could not be opened

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - the P2 models had to do without the folding headlights

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - most models had a Ford engine

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - the Phase 2 cars were slightly longer and had redesigned tail lights

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - extremely flat and aerodynamic

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - the seats are designed for optimum lateral support

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - high gimbal tunnel, almost reclining seating position in the cockpit

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - sporty interior

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - the trademark

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Piper GTT P2 (1971) - aluminum wheels cost extra

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Piper GT (1966) - taken at the Prescott Hillclimb 1969

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Piper GTR (1969) - in training for Le Mans, did not start after problems

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Piper GTR (1969) - in training for Le Mans, did not start

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Piper P2 (1971) - the modified Phase 2 Piper

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Piper GTT (1968) - magazine advertisement

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Summary

Just around 80 sports cars with the names Piper GT/GTT/GTS were produced between 1966 and 1971. What they all had in common was a futuristic yet streamlined plastic body, a bodyshell chassis and mass-produced components for the suspension and drive. This report portrays a Piper GTT P2 from 1971 and summarizes the history of this vanished brand, supplemented by historical images and sales documents.

This article contains the following chapters

It began in 1965
From racing car to road sports car
Presentation at the London Racing Car Show
Racing car as a distraction
With Ford power
Cloudy views
Phase 2

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The company name "Piper" is likely to be familiar to aviation enthusiasts in particular, as it refers to lightweight single or twin-engine aircraft that are still manufactured by the company "Piper Aircraft" today. But there was also a Piper company in England, in fact two of them. One, "Piper Cams", concentrated on tuning engines, the other built radical sports cars. George Henrotte and Bob Gayler began working together in the mid-sixties and focused on optimizing engine performance. But no sooner had they made a name for themselves than they were commissioned to build a racing car. The result was an ultra-flat open-top spider in the Lotus style, which stood out with its wide body and transparent doors. By mid-1966, four of these cars had been built, one of which became widely known thanks to an article in Sports Car Graphic, despite its moderate success. It was the car of racing driver Jerry Titus, which had been fitted with a bored-out Buick V8 engine.

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