Mystery racecar

Hello all. Thought I'd take advantage of the collected expertise at this site to help me solve a little mystery. I've been going through boxes of old photos from my parents house and scanning them into the computer to make photo albums for the family. Came across a hoard of old pics that my dad had taken at Watkins Glen back in the late 60's and early 70's. I've got shots of GT40's, Cobras, McLarens, Chaparrals, trans am Mustangs and Camaros, all sorts of cool stuff. Anyway, I ran across one shot of a car I can't quit ID. Pieces of it appear like a GT6, maybe a TVR, I have no idea. Maybe it's just a custom that someone put together themselves. Just curious what this might be.



Thanks for the help guys.

Great pic. Can you zoom in on the front badge?? Looks to be RHD and rear -or mid- engine. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, those were the days! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

AGHHHH I can't find the name! It was a very small production run car with a mid mounted Mini driveline. There is a guy that brings one(in street trim) to the Zippo Vintage Gran Prix at the Glen every year. His is one of very few left in the country (so he says). I talked with him on it last fall.... I gotta find that picture.
I'd love to see some more of the glen pics. how much for a CD with 'em on it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

That car looks so familiar... I just can't quite place the name, but I think I've seen a picture of one once in a book I have...

As for the hoards of racing car pictures, since they aren't family specific it would be wonderful to see them posted on the internet... Either your own website or piggyback on another website, the one I'm on right now - https://www.flickr.com is an excellent site with lots of great features.

Got it!! It's a Clan Crusader, somewhat modified.

It's a Matra! Here's a link https://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/DJet/djet-index.html

Could be a Clan, but I'm thinking Unipower GT - Mini based. Not sure 'tho.

Hes right. Unipower! As soon as I saw that name I rembered it! Disregard the matra.. unless you want to check out a wierd-cool car. Here's a pic of a Unipower https://svrahsr.acsltd.com/SVRA/PhotoGal.nsf/plinks/EJEN-63BTUZ

I agree too... I was thinking of Unipower, I just couldn't think of the name.

Wow, you guys are awesome, thanks for the ID. I was racking my brain for awhile trying to figure out what that thing was, and my father couldn't remember even taking the picture it was so long ago (don't know if anyone noticed the date on the right edge of the picture, Jul 70). I assumed that it was either mid or rear engined from the picture, with the fuel filler coming up through the front hood. I wanted to see the rear view so I did a little searching and found these pictures, but no more production details:

https://www.minimarcos.org.uk/altpics/unipower/

The left hand photo has what appears to be a Mustang emblem on the grill. That would be interesting, this little car with a mid mounted 289 or 302 V8, how cool! Probably the owner just liked the emblem though. Also found a bunch of brouchures, about halfway down:

https://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/variants.htm

Then found this info on production:

https://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/149

They claim 75 cars produced, which would make any survivors pretty rare indeed (any idea of values?). It's a cool little car, wish there were more of them around.

I will try to post a few more of the shots I've scanned from the Glen. Unfortunately, many are heat damaged and faded from being in an attic and a few are water damaged as well. My dad wasn't the greatest photog either, as lots of the shots are of the cars at speed (meaning blurry) and from a distance, or cutoff by bad exposure, but I'll post a few of the better ones when I get home tonight.

Darn, I knew this one but read it too late.
Great guestion.

I always thought these cars looked ungainly in the flesh, but they were actually pretty good racers (I think someone ran one at Lemans one year).

I started going to the Glen in the late 60's and still have some old pictures I need to scan and catalogue at some point.

Great source of old Watkins Glen pix is HERE. Tam's site and our own "coldplugs" are other good sites for old race photos.

By the way, I think the blue/orange car behind the Unipower is a John Wyer Gulf/Mirage.

Aeronca, I think I might have a shot of that car alone, I'll check later. I'm fairly certain I've got one of a Gulf GT40, will check for that as well.