When an estate version of a sports car may be called a shooting brake, there are a few Mini derivative shooting brakes in existance. I am not kidding you. In fact, I just found a brochure for one such car: the McIvoy. That is, of course, an estate version of the McCoy! It was built by Birchall Automotive and later by NG Wynes Glassfibre from 1986-on. And, yes, it may have been more of a work horse then a glamour wagon but I do quite like it. Hey, at least it's different!
They sold for £2,495 (or at least offered for sale at that price), which was a lot more money then the McCoy coupe which was initially available as a kit from £1.175, later £1.795 and later again £1.950. But, boy, did they have to make a brand new set of moulds for it. Or at least for its rear. And its doors, as these are different, too.
I have no idea how many were ever built but there cannot be too many of these around as I have never ever seen one. The A-Z of Kit Cars thinks there may have been 5, but I doubt it. Dave White of the McCoy Owners Club (really! click here) told me years ago he knew of one (see it here). Could that be the sole survivor?
They sold for £2,495 (or at least offered for sale at that price), which was a lot more money then the McCoy coupe which was initially available as a kit from £1.175, later £1.795 and later again £1.950. But, boy, did they have to make a brand new set of moulds for it. Or at least for its rear. And its doors, as these are different, too.
I have no idea how many were ever built but there cannot be too many of these around as I have never ever seen one. The A-Z of Kit Cars thinks there may have been 5, but I doubt it. Dave White of the McCoy Owners Club (really! click here) told me years ago he knew of one (see it here). Could that be the sole survivor?
The McIvoy's prototype body, here on display with Birchall Automotive in 1986
Picture courtesy Kit Car magazine
And that's the finished thing, as shown in Birchall Automotive's brochure
A shooting brake? At least the typical Norfolk backdrop suggests so for McIvoy
Same car again, I can't remember the source. Note that logo says it's a McCoy
This comes from a later ad by NG Wynes. Skirts suggest this is another car?
When I lived in Macclesfield (around 5 years ago) I used to see one of these on a regular basis, seemed to be in daily use. It was a bit shoddy, but as they don't rust there's a good chance it's still being used.
ReplyDeleteJust seen it parked outside the Adelphi Mill in Bollington, still in use, reg Q821HEX
DeleteI have photos but don't seem to be able to upload
DeleteHi Mike, that sounds great!
DeleteCould you send over your pictures to my email address? It's jeroen@jeroenbooij.com
Thanks!
Hi Wil, I worked at Woodford (BAE) in the early 90's, I remember one of my work colleagues had a McCoy, Macclesfield is not that far away, it might be the same car? It was a white one. KR Nigel.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Birchall Automotive and the yellow car was one of his personal chariots. We had a sectional trailer for delivering the bodies all over the country which folded down and fitted through the rear hatch for a speedy sans trailer return...
ReplyDeleteI used to own a white McCoy Q499 HPW in the early nineties - 1275 Goldseal engine with a van gearbox and old style Cavalier lights on the back and a towbar that was never used. Not sure if it's still around. I do remember seeing a scrapped McCoy Estate in one of the scrapyards on the south side of Shortthorn Road, Stratton Strawless in Norfolk. I can't remember what colour it was for sure but it was light coloured. I also remember seeing some body moulds for sale for not much money on EBay a while back.
ReplyDeleteI remember an article in an issue of either Complete Kit Car or Total Kit Carabout a yard in Norfolk with lots of kit cars that was ccleared. Among them several McCoys if I remember well. Could that be the same? I'll try and look up the magazine.
DeleteIs possible it may have been the same place. At the time I visited, the McCoy estate was the one I noticed, but it's possible there may have been other different stuff lurking or which arrived later. The car I saw around the most at this time was (another) white one - not an estate - that lived at a house on the A47 halfway between Norwich and Acle. I do recall the photographs of the body moulds on EBay being rather more rudimentary than I had imagined then to be!
DeleteThank you very much gentlemen!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=30&t=1521583&mid=446190&nmt=Is+there+a+Market+for+a+Retro+Kit+Car+%3F this thread will lead you to the new owner of the mould's and this one is of all I have pictures of https://www.flickr.com/photos/38377409@N05/sets/72157648427495573 and here is mine being modified http://www.16vminiclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31316
ReplyDelete