I was all fired up by this and actually was prepared (read that: had permission from the Mrs.) to make the $1,700 deposit.
As I understand it, (and please donāt quote me), the prototype for the first go-around was probably the ātempestā project. Krish Bhasker designed the āTempestā. Bhaskar was supposedly hooked up with Nanjing, the Chinese auto manufacturer. Who, if Iām not mistaken, actually announced they would manufacture a car based upon the Tempest prototype at Longbridge. Nanjing acquired Rover, et. al., including the rights to the Austin name. But the neither Bhaskar nor Nanjing could come to terms with the Healey family.
Hereās the Tempest, and who can deny its origins?
(See attachement)
So, enter Tim Fenna, (Frontline Spridget) and other investors who form HFI and they come to terms with the Healey family, but now the prototype āTempestā and the Austin name are gone, the tempest to the designer and the Austin name to the Chinese.
In a very protracted email exchange with HFI, they assured me the car would be available in the US, but who really knows. Deloren and Briklin tried and failed, they both had cash and government subsidies. BMW had a better shot at a Healey revival type revival, and they declined the opportunity.
No one loves Healeys more than I do, and Iād love to see this happen, but, this is all a pipe dream right now, sure it could happen, but for starters, where is the distribution and support network? And, as youāve rightly pointed out, there isnāt even a car.
Hey, Iād be happy to make a deposit on a prototype like Tempest; even if I was uncertain about the final priceā¦Iād be happy with a ballpark figure. But an artistās rendering? At least Donald Healey had a vehicle to unveil and BMCās Lord to lend manufacturing and dealer distribution.
Iāll wait and see.