Magnum Spectre survivor

A picture of the second (of two) built Magnum Spectre was posted on Facebook this week. The car appears to be fully restored and I'd love to hear more about it. 

The two Spectres were made in the mid-1970s by carpenter Rohan Ash and his mate Arthur Wilshire of Auckland, New Zealand. They bought two written-off Leyland 1100s, one for each, and started work on the cars that were inspired by the Alfa-Romeo Carabo concept car. A magazine article was their only reference. Floors and mechanicals were retained, including the hydrolastic suspension and drum brakes, but they replaced the 1100 engines with 1275s from Mini Cooper ‘S’s. Some 30 metres of 25mm square section steel tubing was used to make a frame to place over each of the 1100 floorpans. The car’s bodies were made in fibreglass. Scissor doors like that of the Carabo were deemed to complicated and so Ash and Wilshire settled for more conventional opening doors. The hexagonal pattern of the rear lights, made of two layers of polycarbonate, proved to be another challenge. The interior was a mix of Mini, Datsun and home made parts. Once finished the duo offered replicas for sale from $8,500 but soon decided it would be too much work for them to run the business and deliver the kits. 

Both Ash as Wilshire used their cars on a daily basis for many years. Ash supposedly gave his to a museum in 2003, although it ended up in private hands some time later. Wilshire moved to Australia, taking his Spectre with him and the car seen on the Facebook picture is his car, on a Queensland plate with appropriate 'O KIT 2' number. It's now painted bright orange and has undergone some changes. It's got bigger wheels and wider arches while the pop-up headlights have been replaced by more conventional units. I wonder if it is still owned by Wilshire?

The Magnum Spectre of builder Arthur Wilshire was spotted in Australia recently

Picture Facebook via Paul Kelly

The same car when it was just finished in 1976. The pop-up lights still there

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Wilshire's Spectre was originally a deep brown metallic and wore a NZ plate 'IC 1520'

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Although it was based on an Austin 1100, the engine was a 1275 Cooper 'S'

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

While the very luxurious interior was a mix of Mini, Datsun and home made parts

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

This is the first of the two Magnum Spectres, the one used by Rohan Ash. Note different bonnet

Picture Patrick Harlow / Jeroen Booij archive

Ash and Wilshire marketed the Magnum Spectre in 1976 but never made any others

Picture Jeroen Booij archive