GTM

GTM Cars were a component kit car manufacturer located in Kingswinford, UK.

The company was founded in 1967 when Bernard Cox and his friend Jack Hosker created the Cox GTM (Grand Touring Mini), a mid engined sports car based on Mini parts. It was an instant hit and they built kits as fast as they could in their garage in Hazel Grove, Stockport. In the autumn of 1968, Bernard Cox decided to stop production after 50 kits.

Production was taken over by Howard Heerey, who had raced a GTM, and his father who renamed the car to simply GTM. The design evolved over time and by 1971 about 170 kits had been made and they were up to GTM 1-3 (model 1, variation 3). But in 1972 the road outside their garage had to be widened and they were forced to close.

In 1980 GTM entered its most successful era by far when it was bought by Peter Beck, Paddy Fitch and Dougal Cowper, the latter departing relatively soon after.

In 1998, following three years in development, Beck and Fitch launched a more up-market sports model, the Richard Oakes designed Libra. This was followed up four years later with the Spyder, a more softly styled convertible bearing some of the same styling cues as the Libra but sharing few panels.

In 2003 GTM Cars was bought by RDM Group, and in 2004 the company moved to Coventry. Under RDM's management, GTM developed two new cars: the Ballista, a minor reworking of the Larini Volkswagen Golf Mk2-based kit car, and a 'skeletal' track car — the 40TR — based on the fibreglass monocoque tub of the Spyder. Neither car progressed past the development stage. GTM continued to focus on the Libra and Spyder, selling them in either kit or complete factory built forms.

In December 2007 GTM Cars Ltd. came under the ownership of new parent company Potenza Sports Cars, owners of Westfield Sportscars.

In late January 2010, Westfield Sportscars made the following announcement: "Unfortunately due to parts procurement issues we are no longer offering the current range of GTM models. We will however over the next 12 months be designing and manufacturing a new GTM."