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Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
The Bolwell Story
Specifications
Photos by
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
The Bolwell Story
Specifications
Photos by
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
The Bolwell Story
Specifications
Photos by
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
The Bolwell Story
Specifications
Photos by
Revolutionary Aussie sports car maker
The Bolwell Story
If you are wondering Bolwell?? What's Da? Well this article is exactly for you, even if you do know who Bolwell are, here's a little refreshed course on this proud little Aussie car maker. Bolwell had been punching out popular little Aussie designed & made sports cars in the 60’s & 70’s, but by the turn of the decade they were simply left behind by new ADR regulation, that made it far too expensive for the little boutique manufacturer to continue making their fabulous machines. Let's explore the Bolwell journey & the triumphs & perils they had to navigate.
The Bowlell brothers started from an early age tinkering with cars. Around age 16 Campbell Bolwell would wag school to work on his hobby, his cars. He had a 1936 Ford & matched it with a flathead V8, the combination of a lightweight body with the powerful V8 was the spark that ignited his life long passion & devotion to building cars that could go fast & ultimately look good doing so. This first Bolwell creation was the MkI.
Although happy with how his Ford-based special turned out, he knew he could probably do better, so he built another car. The Bolwell Mk II was based on an MG chassis and powered by a tiny but tuneable 1200cc Ford Ten four-cylinder, and was faster than the first car, despite the horsepower deficit. Not one but two Mk IIIs followed, one built by Graeme and another by elder brother Winston. Each car ran a Jaguar engine on an Austin-Healey chassis, with the brothers both pioneering the use of fibreglass. The relatively new technology became the basis of the first commercially available Bolwell, the Mk IV, sold in kit form from 1963. Owners could build their cars up as desired, but most contained regular fare for the era: a Cortina/Anglia four-banger, a Standard rear end and Triumph Herald front suspension, brakes and steering. Fifty kits were sold, mainly roadster bodies, with the gull-winged coupe version accounting for 12 examples.
Bolwell stepped out on a limb for the Mk VI (aka SR6), with a mid-mounted Holden six and a VW gearbox. Designed primarily as a race car, the intention was to build more than one, but only the prototype was completed. Stepping back to a simpler front-engine design for the Mk VII, Campbell and his staff developed a brilliant sports car body with styling to rival the European coupes of the day. The Mk VII was a stunner, attracted a lot of media attention and shifted plenty of units.
Graeme Bolwell went to work for lotus for 6 months, he was on the development team & worked on the Europa. Once he returned, he used that wealth of knowledge to the Bolwells advantage & the Nagari was born. The styling for the Mk VIII Nagari was an evolution of the Mk VII, but it’s fair to say that the Nagari represents the pinnacle of the Bolwell brand. The Nagari was Bolwell’s first attempt at creating a production-ready, turn-key car rather than a kit, something facilitated by a good relationship with Ford Australia. Bespoke wishbones were attached to Falcon uprights, shockers, coil springs and sway-bars, along with front brakes and the entire rear axle assembly. All this gear hung off the Nagari’s sheet-metal backbone chassis, which was draped in the spectacular fibreglass sports-car body that gave the car its name: Nagari, meaning ‘flowing’.
Production of the Nagari wound up in 1974, its discontinuation brought on by several factors: ADRs kept changing and increasing in complexity, manufacturing costs were creeping up and there was pressure on the brand to crash-test a car, something they simply couldn’t afford to do. Furthermore, the Nagari model was no longer ‘fresh’ and no replacement had been planned. Rather than close the factory doors, Campbell and company chose to diversify, but the boss remains in awe of the dedication people still show towards his creations and to his brand.
The originally story featured on Silodrome.com
Photos from tradeuniquecars.com.au
The Bolwell Story
Specifications
Photos by
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