Arkley (automobile)
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The Arkley was an English automobile, manufactured by John Britten Garages workshops at Arkley, Hertfordshire, in the London Borough of Barnet.
The first model was a two-seater called Arkley SS, designed by John Britten in 1970 (not to be confused with the famous New Zealandian motorcycle designer, John Britten).
The retro design was inspired by the Morgan. The main purpose was recycling old rusty or damaged Triumph Sprites or MG Midgets. The Arkley SS utilised a BMC A-Series engine launched by Austin in 1951.
The Arkley Midget was bug-eyed and a fibre glass front end was fitted. Transformation did not affect the main structural members.
Peter May, who had worked with John Britten Garages, founded Peter May Engineering in Birmingham in 1979 and bought manufacturing rights. Production continued via Peter May Engineering from the mid eighties until the late 1990's, in the form of DIY kits.
Since 1971, around 1000 kits have been sold, but no one knows how many exist now.
Some kits were modified such as a one-off called Pink Bathtub, produced in 1990. (see external link)
External link
http://gerardsgarage.com/GarageContent/UniqueSprites/arkley/ArkleyMidget.htm