Unipower

General Chat with an emphasis on BMC Minis & Other iconic cars of the 1960's.
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LDR209H
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Unipower

Post by LDR209H »

Website,just stumbled across it. Apologies if you've found it already.

http://www.unipowergt.org.uk/

This thread has to be a wind-up,unless someone knows otherwise ?

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... h%3F&mid=0

Image

I've always lusted/dreamed/drooled,I can't help but think the reality doesn't stack up ?
JC T ONE
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Re: Unipower

Post by JC T ONE »

Simon Lee who designed - built & fitted the turbo conversion on my car owned 2 of these beauties.

Both sold to Japanese collectors many years ago.

Here is one of them =
http://www.minimarcos.org.uk/altpics/unipower/uni3.jpeg

Tekst below the pic =
Quote
" I just wonder if those cars are still in the country as so many got exported to Japan.
Now (2009) I've received this from Andrew Lee:

“I thought I'd just drop you an email to let you know who built and owned the rather nice red and silver Unipower.
It was actually my father, Mr. Simon A. Lee of Salisbury!
Some people may know of him as the Mini-man from his days at Janspeed during the 80s and 90s.
He is actually in the photograph too, if you look closely!
He's the chap to the centre of the photo, wearing the green sweater facing forwards.

“I can remember the car as a child, particularly the gear stick mounted in the drivers side sill and the fact that the car was so low.
Unfortunately he was forced to sell the car (to Japan I believe), to pay for less interesting things like a house and my education!”


This reply also confirms Richspec,s thread = viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7799

After my second talk with Andrew Lee,s father, I send Simon some pictures of my car.
After he saw the pictures, he kindly donated 2 JanSpeed Turbo badges
( http://www.showcars.dk/contact.htm ) which he had fitted on Andrew,s push/gocart many years ago.



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Re: Unipower

Post by Pete »

There's not much at all on that website but the Pistonheads thread is a great read. I rarely ever look at the PH forum but threads like that would be a good reason to start. ( :roll: ) The Uni is a well engineered and certainly a beautifully proportioned car and I'm surprised Goodwood won't allow one to race due to lack of pre '66 international race history. Didn't seem to affect the DART ?
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LDR209H
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Re: Unipower

Post by LDR209H »

Nice one Jens ! Jeroen thinks there's at least 9 cars in Japan. I wonder how many of the 75 (50 ? left ?) are stowed away in UK garages ?
This is a good thread with more pics

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/113543

The yellow one with D1's I remember being on with Sussex sports cars a few years ago at £30K. With todays' mentalist prices it almost seems like good value now.
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Re: Unipower

Post by JC T ONE »

LDR209H wrote: Nice one Jens
Thanks,
there is actually a long story on how I found Simon Lee, but thats for another day.


LDR209H wrote: Jeroen thinks there's at least 9 cars in Japan.
I wonder how many of the 75 (50 ? left ?) are stowed away in UK garages ?
Have never heard about any in our country ? nor Sweden ?,
but I guess a few made it to France/Holland/Italy/etc.


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Matt_Tupman
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Re: Unipower

Post by Matt_Tupman »

Does anyone have any decent pictures of the original alloy bodied car?
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Re: Unipower

Post by mk1 »

I absolutely loved the Unipower until I saw one in the flesh. For a kit car / GRP special it always looked so well proportioned & well designed in pictures, When I saw one in the flesh it just looked like a slightly out of proportion Plastic fantastic like so many of this type of car are, much too low for "real life" driving.

I'm sure they would be fun on a track though.

I know the threads referred to are old, but the prices quoted are way low now! Shows how time marches on doesn't it.

M
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