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Gilbern Invader Mk III - Britain's traditional Granturismo

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Created on September 3, 2020

Reading time 10min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

27

Archiv

24

Daniel Reinhard

27

Archiv

24

Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - knapp über 190 km/h schnell lief der Mark III

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Gilbern-Zeichen auf dem Kühler und auf der Motorhaube

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - kompaktes Coupé mit vier Plätzen

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Coupé mit Kunststoffkarosserie

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - kantige Form

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - mit vierflutiger Auspuffanlage

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - eine gewisse Ähnlichkeit mit dem Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT ist schon zu entdecken

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - das Coupé, das so praktisch wie ein Tourer sein wollte

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - die Karosserie des Mk III wurde etwas kantiger und breiter ausgestaltet

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - die Front änderte vom Mk II zum Mk III

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$Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - die Wolfrace-Räder waren ab Werk nicht montiert$

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - individuell geformtes Heck

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - drei Autos von drei Marken, alle mit demselben Ford Essex-V6-Motor, im Hintergrund TVR 3000 S von 1978 und Marcos 3 Litre von 1969

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - der V6-Motor stammt von Ford und tat auch im Capri Dienst

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - aufgeräumter Motorraum

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - der V6 sitzt tief und relativ weit hinten im Motorraum

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - viel Holz und eine komplette Instrumentensammlung

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Blick ins elegant ausstaffierte Cockpit

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Gilbern-Zeichen auf dem Kühlergrill

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - das Gilbern-Zeichen auf schwarzem Grund

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Gilbern-Zeichen auf dem Bug

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Gilbern-Zeichen im Detail

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$Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Wolfrace-Räder waren in den Siebzigerjahren sehr beliebt$

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$Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - polierte Wolfrace-Räder$

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - Tankdeckel vom Zubehörlager

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - filigrane Rückleuchten

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Gilbern 1800 GT (1964) - nutzt die Technik des MGB

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Gilbern Genie (1968) - gefällig und gut proportioniert

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Gilbern Genie (1968) - In Einzelteilen

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Gilbern Genie (1969) - elegant und zweckorientiert

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Gilbern Genie (1969) - der Vorgänger des Invader

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Gilbern Genie (1969) - Blick ins Cockpit

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Gilbern Genie (1969) - Blick unter die Motorhaube

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Gilbern Genie (1969) - grosser Kofferraum

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Gilbern Invader (1969) - kaum sichtbare Modifikationen gegenüber dem Modell Genie

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Gilbern Invader (1969) - der Ford-V6-Essex-Motor

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Gilbern Invader (1971) - In Komponentenform deutlich günstiger, aber einfach und in kurzer Zeit montierbar

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Gilbern Invader (1971) - als Mk II 80 Prozent torsionssteifer als der Vorgänger

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Gilbern Invader (1970) - das kantige Heck bietet einen überdurchschnittlich grossen und gut nutzbaren Kofferraum

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Gilbern Invader (1970) - wertiges Interieur mit viel Holz

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Gilbern Invader Estate (1971) - an der London Motor Show 1971

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Gilbern Invader Estate (1971) - an der London Motor Show Earls Court 1971

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Gilbern Invader Estate (1971) - der Sportkombi grosser Ladeklappe an der London Motor Show 1971

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Gilbern Invader Estate (1971) - in Komponentenform £ 1695 teuer

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Gilbern Invader (1972) - Bildstrecke zeigt Technik und die beiden Ausführungen Saloon und Estate

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Gilbern Invader (1973) - weiter verfeinerter Sportwagen

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Gilbern Invader (1973) - als Mark III mit neu gestaltetem Kühlergrill und nachgeschärfter Karosserie

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Gilbern Invader (1973) - am Strand

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Gilbern Invader (1973) - Produktion des Mk III

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Gilbern Invader (1973) - Cockpit des Mk III

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Gilbern Invader Mk III (1973) - mit schwarzem Vinyldach

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Summary

With the Gilbern Invader, the British manufacturer, which produced sports cars in small series in Wales, continued its tradition of compact and powerful coupés with plastic bodies and tubular chassis. Equipped with the popular Ford Essex V6 engine, the 2+2-seater offered impressive performance and also proved itself in everyday use. This driving report tells the story of this rare sports car and shows it in historical and current images, as well as in the sales literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

MGB opponent
Growth "upwards"
V6 engines from Ford
First the Genie
Also with fuel injection
Invader replaces Genie from
Twice revised
The third Invader version
Export attempts
A pleasant Granturismo

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

"Gilbern", wasn't that the seventies pop singer with songs like "Alone again (naturally)"? No, his name was Gilbert O'Sullivan and of course he had nothing to do with the "Gilbern" sports car company, although some Gilbern drivers may well have heard Gilbert O'Sullivan behind the wheel. The brand name "Gilbern" was made up of parts of the founders' first names. Giles Smith and Bernard Friese were the names of the two entrepreneurs who enjoyed fast cars. They started their joint company in 1959 in Wales, a rather unorthodox environment for a car manufacturer. With a self-developed tubular frame, plastic bodywork and many parts from the BMC parts shelf, the Gilbern GT was created between 1959 and 1967, a 2+2-seater coupé that could be ordered as a finished vehicle or as a kit, whereby the in-house work was limited and served more to circumvent British new car taxation, especially as the bodywork was painted, the interior completely finished and the assembly could be completed in one or two weekends without any major car-building experience. In fact, you could even get help from the factory if you had two left hands. For just £25 (later £50 for the Genie/Invader), a skilled mechanic would take over the complete assembly.

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