Thoroughbred Cars

Originally known as the Witton Tiger and hailing from the United States, this unique car was the brainchild of American designer Leonard Witton, who was residing in London at the time. Upon his return to the US, Witton brought his idea to life by producing DIY kits for the car.

In the UK, Peter Gowing of Thoroughbred Cars in Essex took up the mantle and initially offered the Witton Tiger with a rear-mounted VW Beetle engine and mechanicals. However, this configuration resulted in only one sale before Gowing swiftly made modifications to the car, including a ladderframe chassis with Cortina donor, trailing arm rear suspension, Panhard rod, and a front-mounted engine. In 1984, Gowing faced liquidation and the rights to the car were then acquired by CVC of Redditch, who continued production. Subsequently, Gowing resumed production of the car under the Paris Cars banner in 1985.

Despite its unconventional design, the Witton Tiger, with its traditional styling, garnered attention and sold well as a two-seater, although not as much as its 2+2 counterpart (see previous entry). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jack Langford and Bill Herrett took charge of marketing the cars. From 1992, a Ford Sierra donor option became available.

After a period of dormancy, Garry Wilson quietly revived the TF model in 2009, introducing a Vauxhall Omega-based option as part of the line-up.