Description:

The car is a 1963 Grantura Mk III with race history in the USA.   

It was exported originally direct to the States and chassis number 8/584 is one of only 45 Mk III Granturas to have a Mk II body.  US cars had three rear light fittings each side.  While this car now has two, evidence of the third original can be seen from inside the shell.  Very few RHD MK III cars were exported to the States, of which even fewer will have been finished in red.  The roll-bar pick-up points welded to the chassis behind the driver’s seat match the unique style roll-over bar the car ran in period.  All of this evidence indicates that this is the car that was driven by Ben Warren, during testing at Sebring alongside the works cars and at Watkins Glen.  It was then purchased by an East Coast family and lived in Florida until it was sold in 2012.  It was returned to the UK and then put up for sale by Jim Lowry in November of the same year.  

A restoration was started some time later.  That was incomplete when we acquired the car but, unfortunately, although more work has been done we are now unable to finish the project.  There are some parts missing but nothing critical.  The body shell is good, the MG 1800 engine is in place, the chassis is sound, the rear suspension needs finishing and the interior is a blank canvas but it’s a very viable project.   An FIA inspector saw it recently and agrees that, with its provenance, it has good potential and deserves to be put back to its original state where it could be the basis for a historic racer or would make a great road car.    

The car is in dry storage in Hampshire.  We have the original Florida title and all the import documentation - it’s not been road-registered in the UK.   

Some pics attached include one of the car at Watkins Glen, USA.  The others show its current state showing the work done to date and the spares included in the sale.

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