Hawk Ace

Article from August 2000 edition of Classic & Sports Car magazine

Editorial - Replicas: not all worthless kits

I simply couldn't put it any better than Richard Heseltine does on p148: 'Replicas in Classic & Sports Car - Ready the tar and feathers, Ethel.' Yet, interestingly, all those people involved in our eight-car track test are genuine enthusiasts (most with pukka classics on their fleet as well), people who are simply trying to achieve an otherwise impossible dream. And who can blame them for that? After all, our original motivation for the article was the fact that Mick Walsh was so enamoured with his Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica replica that it might as well have been the real thing. He was converted from the off and was content to endure the endless jibes in return for the driving experience.
Then, of course, you dig a little deeper and discover an entire classic culture, traditionally - and unfairly - lumped in with the plastic Portaloo brigade. They deserve better and perhaps we should all be a little slower to judge - and condemn - in future.

JAMES ELLIOT - EDITOR

KITS OUT FOR THE LADS

Shameless derivation or better than the real thing? Richard Heseltine tries eight copycats to find out

Automotive tribute band
Replicas in Classic & Sports Car? Ready the tar and feathers, Ethel. But, before you warm the acetone and pluck the chicken, consider this: fakes are popular - just check out our classifieds. Not only that, the best of 'em are very good indeed, offering the enlightened enthusiast with lofty ambitions a chance to own something approximate to his dream wheels without having to resort to armed blagging or losing a kidney.
We're not talking about some ineptly recycled Sierra purporting to be a Cobra or Fiero dressed up as a comedy Countach-cum-chemical toilet; what follows is a round-up of some of the best lookalikes on the market today, most of them on offer for a fraction of the value of their inspiration. Ignore the supposed kit-car stigma, disregard the chants of 'It's just a replica' and you could be piloting something that'll impress the neighbours while offering a driving experience to be savoured.

Hawk 1.8 Ace
Hawk Ace with Chesil Speedster (20 Kb)

Cobra clones are, in the main, the automotive equivalent of shellsuits. Not that they're necessarily badly made, just that nearly all appear as if they've ramraided Halfords - all lettered tyres and tacky magnolia hide, driven by 50-somethings with ponytails and 'taches. Most Cobra constructors seem to believe it ain't done 'til it's overdone and news that that great bastion of good taste Excalibur has recently entered the reptilian replica arena confirms our worst suspicions.
But for the more discerning AC man, there's always the delightful Hawk 1.8 Ace from Hawkridge Cars. Famed for its Stratos lookalikes, the Surrey outfit keeps a low profile, letting its replicas effectively sell themselves.
'I keep a wad of brochures in the boot,' says Adam Cleden, owner of this delicious Ford blue example, 'as every time I stop anywhere, I'm swamped by people wanting to know more about the car.'

Hawk Ace Petrol Filler Cap (10 Kb)

But he's not really a replicas man. With a background in classic car restoration, Adam hankered after a Rover P5B but a chance visit to the '96 Sandown Kit Car Show changed all that. Four years and close on 16 grand later (the build took 18 months), his car's on the road but is he happy with his creation? 'Absolutely yes. I've wanted an Ace for as long as I can remember and, though this isn't one, it's as close as I'm ever likely to get.' Adam has resisted fitting AC badges: 'It's a Hawk and I'm proud of that. I'm not interested in passing it off as anything other than a replica as most onlookers seem to appreciate it for what it is.'

Hawk Ace Front Portcullis Grill (28 Kb)
Portcullis grille beautifully recreated

Outwardly Adam's car is a dead ringer for the real deal, the portcullis grille and delicate chrome jewellery beautifully recreated. If anything, the nose sits a little too low but the rear springs have yet to bed in which could explain the stance. Criticising this car swiftly deteriorates to the level of nit-picking as it's a corker. Once aboard, there's an aura of quality, the torso-gripping buckets setting the tone. Adam ensured the trimmer reflected the twin-arch effect of the original's leather and carpet on the rear bulkhead, while on the dash he made a period-style ignition switch - even printing new wording around it. Then there's the indicator stalk. Wanting a column arrangement rather than the kit's dash-mounted switch and working from photos of an original, Adam sketched the shape on to a suitable chunk of aluminium before cutting and filing it by hand.

Hawk Ace Cockpit (15 Kb)
Hawk's snug cockpit

On MGB running gear with 2.5-litre Triumph straight-six engine and 'box, the Hawk drives much like the original, the sonorous backbeat an antidote to modern tweaky 'fours'. There's oodles of low-down pull, the gearchange responding to tactility, shifting more smoothly than it did in the donor saloon. It will cruise happily at 70mph with the bonus of overdrive on third and fourth.

Hawk Ace Engine Bay (20 Kb)
Triumph's straight-six makes right noises

The Hawk tackles corners with vigour, initial understeer shifting to benign neutrality mid-bend although the MG rack isn't overly communicative at high speed. Try a little harder and you can feel the back end gently start to slide but it's beautifully controllable, flattering the driver's efforts. That an uninspiring assortment of components can be used to such great effect is a tribute to its designer, Gerry Hawkridge. And to its discriminating builder.

Factfile
Engine front-mounted 2498cc ohv straight-six (BMW 'six' and Ford Zephyr 2.6 optional)
Max power 106bhp @ 4700rpm
Transmission manual four-speed 'box
Construction/chassis ladder frame of square and round tubes, glassfibre body
Suspension front: MGB wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, optional tubular wishbones;
rear: MGB live axle located by semi-elliptic leaf springs
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Steering rack and pinion
Top speed 120mph
0-60mph 8.0 secs (est)
Price £15,000+
The real thing £35,000
Hawk Cars; tel: +44 1892 750282 or 750341

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Letters (in response to above article)

October 2000
Kits out!
I am utterly distressed. One of the magazines that shaped my unquenchable desire and love of classic cars has published an article on replica kit-cars. Phrases like 'looks more like the real thing than the real thing' make my stomach turn and Doug Nye's comment that he sticks to SU carbs religiously because he's 'wrapped up in authenticity' similarly reviles. Then Hawk has the gall to put Bertone's mark on this little abasement - I hope Hawk is paying royalties to Bertone. Shouldn't all replica makers pay hefty royalties to the companies they shamelessly profit off?
Why can these people not design their own bodies? If they're so keen not to imitate or ape the real thing, why then make it look the same? Do a Caterham, build your own 21. But that would take talent and determination so they plagiarise Tojeiro, Pininfarina, Porsche, Bertone or Towns. And C&SC has just validated their existence, condoned their thievery.
Anyone with a view is welcome to e-mail me at zak@mighty.co.za.
Let's stick to cars.
Zak McGregor
Via e-mail

Rattled snake
In response to your feature on replicas, my present transport is an AK 427 replica Cobra which I built myself and I adore. I was therefore horrified to find out that I am supposed to be a shell-suited 50-something with a ponytail and a 'tache who has ram-raided Halfords. You forgot to mention my chest wig and medallions.
I've owned several sports cars from Marcos to Porsche and enjoyed them all, but nothing has given me as much pleasure as my 'fake snake'. Each to his own (your team has a fondness for obscure Italian rust or non-starting Lotus), but please no more swiping at Cobra replica owners.
Alun Price
Anglesey, Wales

Snake charmer
I enjoyed your article on replicas, but you may have been premature in dismissing 'fake snakes' as part of the plastic portaloo brigade. Some are, but others are much better and it would be fun to find out how much so by comparing a 289 Cobra with a MkIV and one of the better replicas. The results would be very revealing - especially when value is accounted for.
Peter Hills
Via e-mail

December 2000
Hawk's ayes
What a pity that a few 'enthusiasts' still feel that replicas/kit cars are unworthy of praise or inclusion in Classic & Sports Car - Zak McGregor (Letters, October) has both missed the point of such cars and unfairly victimised Hawk Cars.
I admit to having a bias on the issue as my car was one of those featured in the article - the Ace replica. This is a car I had always admired, but can only dream of owning in the condition that my Hawk is in. The Hawk has meant I can own a car as near as I could wish for within my limited budget.
Hawk cars are sold as an homage to the original, made to a very high standard, providing both a great building and driving experience. At no point have they condoned the use of original badges or tied to pass their cars off as originals. What an individual does with a car is his own personal decision - both cars representing Hawk are privately owned.
The greatest compliment I think that any 'classic' could have is for it to be considered so desirable that people should want to build a replica. These surely deserve some recognition and I was glad that C&SC provided it.
Mr. McGregor also suggests John Tojeiro as the original creator of the Ace, so I would suggest he read the article on p96 of the very same issue - Tojeiro's car was surely a 'replica' of the Ferrari 166 Barchetta!
Adam Cleden
Via e-mail

Kitty letter
In response to the ill-informed letter from Zak McGregor, it should be pointed out that it is not in any way illegal for privately built replicas to sport badges, logos or any other stickers that would have been on the original car, though it is of course an infringement of copyright for manufacturers of kits cars to have such branding on their demonstrators.
It may not have occurred to Mr McGregor that some people admire a design from the past to such a degree that they are happy to own an authentic replica when the original would be way beyond their reach. Also, many original cars are so rare and valuable now that the risks of driving them on the road just for pleasure are just too great. As for the quality of kit cars, names such as Shelby and Tojeiro have endorsed some of these so-called fakes and even the Jaguar Drivers' Club recognises the beautiful Suffolk SS100 as an 'historic replica'.
Replica kit car drivers are not all posers trying to fool the public, they are enthusiasts who love the looks, feel and fun of classic motoring without the headaches. Perhaps in Mr McGregor's eyes, when we have a beautiful reproduction of a painting by one of the great artists hanging in the living room, we are trying to fool people into thinking we own a Van Gogh. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all these manufacturers are doing is allowing anybody to have the nearest thing to their dream car instead of it being the preserve of the privileged few.
No one would dispute that the real thing is more desirable, but the replicas are relatively inexpensive to build and maintain (though a few cost more than the originals) and as they are all 'recycled Portaloos' they don't rust!
Barry Collyer
Crawley, West Sussex

Gerry built
I was delighted when C&SC featured two of my customers' cars as I greatly enjoy my business which has built up around producing replicas and kits. Indeed, for many years we have supplied previously unobtainable parts for various cars including Lancia Stratos, enabling cars to be restored and enjoyed as they should be.
I was most upset, however, to read Kits out in the October Letters pages. Hawk Cars does not supply or condone the use of other people's badges or logos on its products and I resent any suggestion otherwise. Naturally we do not have any control over how a customer may choose to finish or badge his car.
Gerry Hawkridge
Hawk Cars, Frant, East Sussex

Carroll signing
Even the great Carroll Shelby has acknowledged that the Hawk 289 is one of the best replicas by adding his signature to the dashboard of Bob Lawrence's fine car in the USA. Gerry Hawkridge tells his customers that 'original' badges should not be fitted to his cars, but some owners choose to ignore this... I did and have regretted it ever since. In fact never more so than when I attended a classic event and the marshals ushered me into the AC area and then I was complimented on my fine 289 by a senior figure from AC. It was certainly flattering but, at the end of the day, my car is a Hawk and I'm proud of that. And no, I don't live in a mock-tudor house filled with repro furniture or wear fake Versace suits and a Rolex watch when driving my Hawk. I sit there with a huge grin on my face and think how lucky I am to own it.
Graham Fry
Cranbrook, Kent

Euro men cometh
We have just returned from our fourth European tour in our replica Lancia Stratos - we probably could not have managed it in a real one - and feel Zak McGregor has missed the point about replicas. For the majority of owners, the enjoyment is the building of their dream car which, when complete, is unique. At no time have I tried to pass my car off as an original though I did put the Bertone badge on as a tribute to this very talented man.
Chris Smith
Husbands Bosworth, Leics

[For the record, pro-replica feedback outweighed anti by 10 to 1 - Ed]

February 2001
Imposter prince
While in the UK, I dropped £3.40 for C&SC only to see the same old chestnuts on replica cars (Letters, December). All these imposter cars, from MGs to Ferraris, should be taken to the crusher and gotten rid of. I'd rather have a genuine Fiat 500 in my scuderia than any number of fake out-mechanised bedpans. I notice Mick Walsh flogged his replica Replica Frazer Nash off quick enough to some not-so-poor unsuspecting soul. As the owner of a real Frazer Nash Le Mans, I can assure you that owning and driving a genuine copy has no substitute.
George Waltman
New Jersey, USA

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