Last year when I was wondering around the car park at Crystal Palace for the Motorsport at the Palace event I stumbled across this stunning car which at first glance thought might be one of 80 Piper GT’s but in fact turned out to be a much rarer but contemporaneous prototype Gilbern T11.

The T11’s body work was designed by Trevor Fiore, who designed the similarly rear engined Monteverdi Hai, like the Diablo prototype that became the AC 3000 ME was powered by a Austin Maxi 4 cylinder motor mounted amidships in the steel chassis.

It turns out that three chassis were built but the body work was never completed for any of them despite being tested up to 120 mph at Castle Combe.

The cancellation of the T11 was due to a combination of factors including expansion at the Gilbern factory and uncertainty over future regulations governing sports cars.

The example seen here is the only one ever finished, owner Gordon Johnston ended up making a fresh body for the car alongside devising interior trim and many other ‘minor details’.

Gordon eventually completed and registered the worlds only Gilbern T11 after eight years work, as a 1970 model in 2009.

Thanks for joining me on this “Another Maxi Powered Prototype” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at an MG XPAG powered special. Don’t forget to come back now !