Specifications
| Engine | In-line six-cylinder, 3300cc |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual |
| Body Work | Coupe |
| Colour | Red |
| Interior | Black |
| Trim | Vinyl |
| Wheels | Cast Alloy |
| Brakes | Discs |
Description
Founded by brothers, Campbell, Winston and Graeme Bolwell in 1962, this home-grown company produced some of the best sports cars ever seen in this country. Combining distinctive styling with rugged Aussie running gear, surviving Bolwells are keenly sought after by collectors today. The first model produced in quantity by the fledgling company was the Mark IV of 1963, with over 200 built in component kit form - the buyer was left to supply and choose the type of running gear and do final assembly. The low-slung bodywork was made from fibreglass, in either a gullwing hardtop or roadster styles, and the Ford Cortina 1600 the most popular choice of motive power. Although early Bolwells used a separate tubular space-frame chassis, the design was updated into a stronger, lighter (and cheaper to manufacture) monocoque on the Mark IVB. With the Mark V, Bolwell moved towards serious road car production, and Holden's six-cylinder motor became the preferred engine. Following on from the one-off sports-racing Mark VI, Bolwell's next road-going model, the Mark VII of 1966 was a more sophisticated car in every way. Following Lotus practice, the car had a backbone chassis of folded sheet metal, with suspension following the best race car practice and a very attractive fastback body strongly influenced by contemporary exotics like the Jaguar E-Type and the Ferrari GTO. The Mark VII used Holden's 186S six with either a GM-sourced three-speed manual or Triumph four-speed gearbox and with so little weight to move the Bolwell was a stunning performer, capable of achieving a top speed in excess of 200 km/h. Bolwell turned out 400 Mark VII cars between 1967 and 1972, some of them sold as complete turn-key cars from the factory but the majority sold in kit form and many of these were never completed so the rear number is considerably lower. Bolwell went on to develop the Mark VII into the Nagari, switching from Holden to Ford power and the 302-cid V8 was shoehorned under the bonnet, even building a roadster variant in later years.
