The Gordon G.T. prototype was the brainchild of John S. Gordon. In October
1960, it was heralded as the fastest car in the world that had undergone a road test, and was not relying on manufacturers claims. The Gordon GT combined electrifying performance with elegance, having a four-seater body, including a big luggage boot. The only problem was, it seemed destined that the prototype would remain just that - many fearing it would never actually make serious production.
Fortunately George Wansbrough, who became actively interested when the project was first made public in August 1960, and the car's designer, Jim Keeble, kept their faith in it, the two conspiring to continue a full chassis development programme.
Suitable factory premises were ultimately found at Southampton Airport, and with Wansbrough as chairman and Keeble as engineering director, the Gordon-Keeble entered production. The factory relied heavily on components from outside suppliers, and the hand built nature of the car ensured it was never going to be manufactured in large numbers. Wansbrough and Gordon set a realistic target of manufacturing around 10 cars per month.
The original Gordon G.T. prototype used a 4·7 litre Corvette engine, however for the production models a 5·4 litre engine was used. The body was made from moulded glass-reinforced plastic instead of steel, however Benone's design was meticulously reproduced by Willliams and Pritchard of Edmonton, London, who had racked up considerable experience in developing this type of body shell, including those of the Formula 1 Lotus and Brabham cars.
The master moulds were taken to Southampton where the bodies were produced on the spot. Not only was the surface quality of the mouldings extremely high but the clearances around hinged components - bonnet, doors and boot lid - were closer and more regular than just about any other car on the road. This was achieved where possible in the manner of the coachbuilder in metal, by knife-edging adjacent panels and trimming them to fit. Moreover, allthough the bodywork had to share none of the frame's stresses, a lot of thought was given to its inherent structural strength, steel tubes being moulded-in to reinforce it where necessary.
The outer body shell was formed as a single unit, reinforced by 15 or so subsidiary mouldings for the floor and rear seat pan, wheel arches (double-skinned), bulkhead, ventilation ducts and so on. Around the passenger compartment the latticework frame of small-section square and rectangular tubes was filled in with nearly 60 sq. ft. of lino thick Plasticell, a rigid expanded polyurethane insulating material. In the floor this formed a sandwich between the glass fibre top surface and aluminium undershields, and the roof was lined with resilient polyether foam. Thus a high degree of sound and heat insulation was provided. In addition, the car's under-surface (which was free from any projections other than the twin exhaust pipes) was treated with a bitumastic sealing compound.
Nearly 300ft of tubing-mostly lino square and 1·5 x 0·875in. rectangular of 16 s.w.g. went into every frame, a lightweight but complex skeleton of great stiffness. This was electrically jig-welded to close tolerances in sub-assemblies which were united in a master jig, and the quality of workmanship, even where it could not be seen in the finished product, was of the highest standard. The suspension front wishbones and rear axle locating links were fabricated from 1 inch square 10 s.w.g. tube.
A de Dion axle was likewise built up from square tube; the design making it stiffer than the usual round section as well as being simpler to make in small quantities, and it made it easier to aligning and fit attachment brackets. It was located by a transverse Watts linkage and parallel, longitudinal radius arms. The Salisbury final drive unit, which could be optioned with a a limited-slip differential, had a four-point mounting in the frame by 2in. dia. Metalastik bonded rubber bushes. Girling brake discs were outboard at the wheels to ensure their adequate cooling.
Coil springs and Armstrong teleescopic dampers were fitted all round, the back dampers having Selectaride electric adjustment by a four-way switch. Separate hydraulic circuits were provided for front and rear brakes, boosted by individual servos. The car was shod with Avon Turbospeed IV tyres, these running on pressed steel wheels with centre-lock hubs and 5·5in. wide rims.
A Warner four-speed allmesh gearbox, with light alloy casing and bell-housing, and with the ratio spacings shown in the data panel, was also standardized. These spacings were much wider than was the case with the original prototype, the low first gear in particular being more logical - if less exciting - than that car's 72 m.p.h. ratio. To suit the lower-revving engine, too, the standard final drive gearing was raised from 3·31 to 3·07, but the former ratio was available to order, as were the two lower ratios - 3·54 and 4·11.
A G.M. clutch with diaphragm spring released a mere 36 lb load on the pedal. The enginebox unit was moved 1·5in. forward to add to passenger space, allowing for a narrower dividing console between the front seats. Electric current was provided by a Lucas alternator, Lucas also supplying the twin fuel pumps. These were the high-pressure immersion type, but in this case operated from outside the fuel tanks. There were actually 2 fuel tanks, both 11 gallon, and each with their own individual filler car situated on the rear quarter panel.
There was also plenty of standard kit. Luxury items included electric window lifts by Piper, push-button Radiomobile, and Britax inertia reel safety belts for the front seats. When not in use these would retract neatly into the forward faces of the rear armrests. Also standardized was a 5kw Smiths heater, arranged to warm all four occupants directly; ducts in the side-sills spilled into the rear compannment at floor level through adjustable outlets. The side windows were hinged for draught-free ventilation.
A telescopic steering column allowed the driver to set the wood-rim wheel perfectly, the instrument dials being directly in the drivers line of vision, housed in a raised binnacle. The fuel gauge, clock and ammeter were in a supplementary panel above the centre switcboard, which also included the heat and ventilation controls. There was a properly trimmed and carpeted boot, both symmetrical and free from projections. The spare wheel was located in a well beneath the floor. The seats here, trimmed in high-quality synthetic material, while leather was an option. While the seats themselves were both supportive and comfortable, the backrests were adjustable only by set-bolts with locking nuts. Deep framed windows and slender pillars ensured there was excellent all-round visibility.
Those lucky enough to have owned a Gordon-Keeble will tell you the car was like nothing else. With a kerb weight of just over 26cwt, it offered remarkable performance, svelt good looks and a level of quality and craftmanship long since forgotten. A tradgedy then that only 100 cars were ever built. Final closure came in February 1966 when the factory at Sholing closed and Jim Keeble moved to Keewest.
