TORNADO CARS

Bill Woodhouse and Tony Bullen entered the kit car market in 1958 with the Typhoon body and chassis kit, which was designed to turn a Ford 10 into a sports car, over 300 of this model were made. In 1960 the similarly styled but more technically advanced Tempest and Thunderbolt models were introduced, the Tempest being powered by the Ford 105E overhead valve power unit and the Thunderbolt being based on the Triumph TR 3. All of these models were offered as open sports cars or closed coupes. Wheelbases on offer gave a choice of 2 seats or 2 plus 2 (known as the Occasional 4); the Tempest even offered a full 4 seat option. Another option for the discerning Tornado buyer was to specify the kit as a Sports brake probably the first "sports estate". Despite consistent success on the race track sales of the Thunderbolt and Tempest were slow and Tornado Cars Directors decided that a radical change was required. In December 1961 the Talisman GT sports saloon was introduced, the first 4 seat production car to feature a Cosworth engine. The Talisman grew to an improved Mk 2 version and remained available into 1964. The final model produced was the brain child of new owner John Bekaert. The Tornado Fiat 600D was said to have out accelerated a Ferrari at the Brighton Speed Trials but despite numerous attempts to resurrect car manufacturing by the Woods family who took over in the mid 60's Tornado Cars became specialist in repairing accident damaged vehicles until closure in 1985.

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