The year is not yet over, which means it is still 50 years ago that the Cox GTM came to life. Just in time to share some more GTM photographs then. Now. The most famous of all the cars made by Bernard Cox, Howard Heerey, Patrick Fitch and Peter Beck plus all that other men who built GTM cars? Surely that red Car and Car Conversions car, right? I agree.
But there was another GTM that could be seen in CCC's competing Hot Car magazine, and later in Custom Car magazine, too. It was nicknamed The Green Mean Machine thanks to the very green shade of paint used on its body. It actually was the first demonstrator built by Howard Heerey in 1969. He recently wrote: "The Green Mean Machine as featured in Custom Car July 1970. They loved it and reckoned it could blow the doors boot and bonnet lid off its competition. Still love the colour that I mixed, so Seventies." Thanks for that Howard, the GTM is still going strong after all these years. But does anyone know what happened to the Green Mean Machine?
UPDATE 6 September 2021: The Green Machine is resurrected! Click here for more.
Article in Hot Car magazine - they certainly loved the GTM too. Just like CCC
Picture Jeroen Booij archive
This photograph was published in Custom Car magazine - another 1970s mag to have
Picture Jeroen Booij archive
These pictures are from the Hot Car shoot, and later ended up in the famous Filby Files.
I was kindly allowed to copy them
Picture The Filby Files / Jeroen Booij archive
'LLG 187G' was the first demonstrator built by Howard Heerey in 1969
Picture The Filby Files / Jeroen Booij archive
That's technical editor Paul Davies behind the wheel, clearly enjoying the drive!
Picture The Filby Files / Jeroen Booij archive
Here parked in the paddock at Oulton Park. Heerey: "I reckon it looks great next to the 911"
Picture Howard Heerey
The car was seen in several advertisements, too. This one from Hot Car again
Picture Jeroen Booij archive
And one more. Now, where could the Green Mean Machine have gone to?
Picture Jeroen Booij archive
LLG 187G is stll alive and now, according to the DVLA in the UK, painted white. It ran out of MOT on 21st June 2017 but is till taxed (although I believe it's actually tax exempt)
ReplyDeletehttps://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ViewVehicle
Not sure if my last comment was published. However we owned this car. .LLG187G.Never kept it long as it overheated in the Winter. Recall shoving snow in the radiator.. I wondered what happened to it..
DeleteJust to add, the details say it's 1015cc - that's a strange capacity for a rebore?
ReplyDeleteI spoke to the owner of this, erm... V5...
ReplyDeleteThe owner approached me whilst I was just climbing into my COX at a mini show.
He said "I had one of these back in the 90's".
He went on to tell me the registration number, which is when I knew which car he was talking about. He knew it was the green car from the advertisement as he told me,,, "it was the car that was used in the Hot Car Magazine article".
He said that he wanted to rebuild it, but it was so rotten that he scrapped it.
He went on talking until he said he put the registration number on a K3 GTM.
So I'm not sure if it is still owned by this chap or if it has been passed on to some poor unsuspecting soul.
Turbocox.
We owned this car. .With the distinctive reg..I think it was yellow though.. Trouble was it overheated in the Winter.. Recall putting snow in the radiator. .I wondered what happened to it..
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I'd love to write another article on the car when you owned it. Do drop me a line when you like on jeroen at jeroenbooij dot com
DeleteDoppelganger, the second coming....
ReplyDeleteHi , not sure if this Web page is still active but I now own the green gtm .and it's going on another photo shoot on Wednesday. It's going in alternative autos magazine . Am also trying to get a couple copies of the other magazines it was in . Any help would be great .kind regards. Tim.
ReplyDeleteThis car has just appeared again in an auction - https://youtu.be/ojjd5KcJTSw?t=2893
ReplyDelete