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chassis but with transverse rod independent rear suspension was announced. The engine was the 1998 cc unit also from the GT6. By this time the market for hand-built small production cars was declining and the last model, the TX-S was a modified TX-GT with a variety of engines and the choice of the
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The 1954 Atom was powered by a rear-mounted, two-stroke, air-cooled motor cycle engine driving the rear wheels through a three-speed Albion motor cycle gearbox and chain to the back axle. A choice of 250 cc or 350 cc BSA single cylinder and 322 cc Anzani twin-cylinder engines was offered. The body
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Another car, the TX Tripper, was produced by Torix's company, Technical
Exponents, which shared premises with Fairthorpe. Looking like a psychedelic cross between a beach buggy and a sports car it was marketed as a TX and offered with either the Triumph chassis or a TX designed chassis. Triumph
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engine. The front suspension was independent using coil springs and drum brakes were used all round. The engine was expensive for the company to buy resulting in a high price of £1050 (complete) or £734 (kit); only around 20-30 are thought to have been made.
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gearbox and drove the rear wheels via a propeller shaft and hypoid bevel gear. The suspension used coil springs all round with trailing wishbones at the rear. The number made is uncertain and the last car seems to have been made in 1960.
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The
Atomota replaced the Atom in 1957 and was a complete re-design with front-mounted engine and new chassis. The engine was a twin cylinder, 646 cc BSA overhead-valve unit from the
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standard GT6 rear suspension. It could also be had as the TX-SS with
Triumph fuel-injected engines. Only about 30 of the TX cars were made.
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1600 cc engine and
Triumph independent front suspension. It was priced at £997, or £625 in kit form. Approximately 25 were made up to 1967.
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cylinder head, priced at £1,198, £1,281 and £1,407 respectively; the basic kit was available for £740. Very few, probably five, were made.
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Fairthorpe
Electron Minor (1957–73): Standard 10/Triumph Herald engine. Final version on Triumph GT6 chassis with Spitfire engine (1968).
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Fairthorpe TX-S and TX-SS: (1969–76): similar to the TX-GT but with a wider variety of engine and transmission packages, all
Triumph.
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Fairthorpe Ltd remains listed (as does
Technical Exponents Ltd) at Denham Green Lane (as at 2007), but Fairthorpe does not trade.
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A new version of the Zeta, the
Rockette, was introduced in 1962. Sporting a slightly modified glass-fibre body shell and using a
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Fairthorpe
Electron (1956–65): Coventry Climax engine. Front disc from 1957. Final version with Triumph Spitfire engine. Body
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was mounted on a backbone chassis and had all independent suspension by coil springs and hydraulic brakes. 44 were made.
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was available as an option. With various specification changes the cars went from a Mark I to a Mark VI which had a
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The first cars were lightweight two-seat models powered by motorcycle engines and with glassfibre bodies.
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engine of 2553 cc. It was offered in a choice of three stages of tune, with up to six carburettors and a
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In 1967 Donald
Bennett's son Torix joined the company and a new car the TX-GT coupé based on a
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was a British manufacturer of motorcars, active between 1954 and 1973. Production was in
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In 1956 a new larger car, the open 2-seat Electron appeared using a 1098 cc overhead-cam
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Fairthorpe TX-GT (1967–76): 2-seat coupe with Triumph 2-litre 6-cylinder engine
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engines powered its various models: 1300, 2000, and 2500. About 20 were made.
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It was the mainstay of production until 1973 with about 700 being built.
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Fairthorpe Rockette (1963–67): as Zeta but with Triumph Vitesse engine
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A reduced price version the Electron Minor followed in 1957 using the
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Fairthorpe Electrina (1961–63): closed 4-seat version of the Electron
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The Zeta was introduced in 1959, powered by a modified six-cylinder
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mechanicals called the Electrina but only about 6 were produced.
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286:"The vision of Air Vice Marshall Donald (Pathfinder) Bennett"
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and front disc brakes came from the same source in 1966. A
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Fairthorpe Atom (1954–57): 250 cc to 650 cc, chain drive
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Fairthorpe Atomota (1958–60): 650 cc, live rear axle
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234:List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom
447:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England
141:. Production peaked at about 20 cars a month.
137:The cars were available fully assembled or in
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410:(2008 ed.), Parker House Publishing,
214:Fairthorpe Zeta (1959–65): racing version
130:There was also a closed 2+2 version with
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262:Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile
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108:, transmission and rear axle from the
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353:Sedgwick, Michael; Gillies (1993).
457:Companies based in Buckinghamshire
432:Fairthorpe Sports Car Club website
84:The 1957 Fairthorpe Electron Minor
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47:1962 Fairthorpe Electron Minor
30:Fairthorpe Ltd was founded by
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67:model. It was coupled to a
408:British Cars of the Sixties
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323:A-Z British Cars 1945-1980
92:Fairthorpe Electron Minor
327:. Herridge & Sons.
319:Robson, Graham (2006).
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85:
48:
452:Kit car manufacturers
355:A-Z of cars 1945–1970
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83:
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406:Nye, Doug (1970),
357:. Bay View Books.
106:Standard SC engine
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417:978-0-9796891-6-1
290:fairthorpescc.com
21:Chalfont St Peter
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264:. London: HMSO.
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114:Triumph Spitfire
65:BSA Golden Flash
52:Atom and Atomota
32:Air Vice Marshal
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258:Georgano, N.
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110:Standard Ten
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179:Triumph GT6
151:Ford Zephyr
122:Triumph GT6
69:Standard 10
441:Categories
390:Nye (1970)
378:Nye (1970)
240:References
245:Citations
203:Microplas
124:chassis.
295:10 March
260:(2000).
228:See also
205:Mistral.
161:Rockette
139:kit form
76:Electron
118:hardtop
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412:ISBN
359:ISBN
329:ISBN
297:2012
266:ISBN
190:Cars
145:Zeta
155:BRM
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343:^
305:^
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173:TX
23:,
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