CAV, Hi-Tech Automotive/Superformance, Auto Futura -Setting the record straight.
Hi Everyone,
Sorry, haven't posted for a while, too busy planning another automotive venture which I hope will work for me and my friends this time!
I would once and for all like to set the record straight with regard to CAV, Hi-Tech Automotive/Superformance and Auto Futura. There are far too many distorted and incorrect stories floating around the GT40 world. According to research conducted by Toastmasters International people only remember 13% of what they hear. This seems to apply. Please bear with me, this report is lengthy but I believe important.
Much of this has been posted before, but many new members might have missed out.
Sadly the specialised car industry, which should be exciting and fun for all, seems to be plagued by intrigue, jealousy, back stabbing, partnership clashes, deals going wrong, bankruptcies, deposits taken with no delivery in sight, etc, etc. Another problem is that people who love cars and who made their money in other businesses become involved with car manufacturing and see things through rose tinted spectacles. My advice is if you haven't been at the coal face of car building stay out of it. Rather go down to your local favourite sports car dealer, ie Porsche, part with your money and enjoy!
Luckily for me, at age 22, I was thrown in at the deep end at Porsche by having to do a three month technical training course before being let loose in the Export/Sales Department. Despite not being an engineer or a mechanic I worked my way through every single department, engine and gearbox build, Reutters body works, the 'assembly line' etc. It was a great experience that taught me that car building was a complex business. Apart from being a high risk industry if cars aren't built correctly people's lives are at risk.
In 1990/91 Norman Lewis and I built a KVA-type GT40 MK1 for an English client, he hands-on and me in charge of admin, cost control, parts sourcing, etc. In November 1991 I went to the UK and called on GT Developments in Poole, Dorset with my build and cost schedule. I met up with Simon Osborne as Ray Christopher had temporarily left the company for health reasons as far as I can recall. Even though the SA rand traded at 4.8 to the pound sterling Simon was amazed at how 'cheaply' we could build cars. I suggested that they should think in terms of having their cars built in South Africa.
For the next six years I kept in touch by phone and fax and then out of the blue in May 1998, I received a fax from Ray Christopher, who had returned to GTD, saying 'we must now talk' as the rand had weakened to 8.8 to the pound.
In early 1999 I met up with two partners who had made money from an invention and were looking for a new and exciting business opportunity. I certainly didn't have any money with which to start an automotive venture and the upshot was the formation of Cape Advanced Vehicles (CAV), obviously named after Ford Advanced Vehicles, with a deal to produce GTD GT40s under licence for export mainly to the US but elsewhere as well. The two partners were to be joint CEOs and me Managing Director.
The business got going in October 1999, when the container with a body/chassis kit to be copied arrived from GTD. I had invited Robbie Senekal to come on board as chief engineer and he became CAV's first employee. We in fact unpacked the container thereby starting a new chapter in our lives. By April 2000 production of the space (tube) frame version had begun. During that year someone else was brought in as a 'consultant' and by July my partners appointed him Managing Director instead of me. I started writing the 65 page Build Manual and the 45 page Owner's Manual towards the end of that year and by March 2001 with those tasks completed I felt like what one can have in the British cabinet, a 'minister without portfolio' or more bluntly 'a spare prick at a wedding'. I sold my shares and walked out.
Insinuations have been made that I made 'a lot of money' at CAV and it's this incorrect perception that largely motivated this report. When the company started my partners decreed that the directors wouldn't draw salaries 'until the company was profitable'. I had to rely an on ad hoc income from four other business interests plus journalism which was difficult time wise as CAV was a full time job for me. True Catch 22 position. In the end my shares were paid out over an 18 month period in equal instalments which amounted to no more than a retrospective below average 18 months salary. That's all I ever made from CAV, which hardly puts me in the Bill Gates league. When I left I agreed to a five year restraint of trade on the GT40.
Following my departure some 30 employees resigned during the next 10 months.
I've just read a book entitled 'The Piranha Club' by Timothy Collings. It's a fascinating story of the people who ran and run the world of F1 racing, ie Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley, Enzo Ferrari, Charles and John Cooper, Colin Chapman, Jack Brabham, Ken Tyrrell, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Jackie Stewart and several others. There is one interesting common denominator and that was and is the ability of these gentlemen to spot talent and to surround themselves with talented people to help them win world championships. A current case in point is the phenomenal success of Ferrari. I hear from people with close Ferrari connections that their success can be attributed to one thing, a close knit, cohesive and happy team with no rotten apples. This is clearly evident from the sea of red overalls that surge forward towards the pit wall as Schumi takes the chequered flag. One doesn't have to be a psychologist to read the positive body language of the team members. Anything less than this will also end in companies becoming history. People pulling in different directions never works.
In early January 2002 Jimmy Price phoned me to ask me about the rumoured CAV resignations. I told him that he had been correctly informed whereupon he jokingly said that perhaps he should have his GT40 built in Cape Town. When I flew to Port Elizabeth in September 1999, to pay Jimmy a courtesy call the first thing he said was that he would also be building a GT40 'sometime in the future'. When my partners subsequently flew to PE to meet him he gave them the same message.
About a week later Jimmy phoned again and this time seriously asked what I thought about setting up in Cape Town (500 miles due west from Port Elizabeth) as car builders, in particular those with GT40 experience, weren't exactly 'two a penny' in South Africa. When I said that it could be a good idea he asked who I would recommend to head up the Cape Town operation. My immediate response was Robbie Senekal, one of the best all round engineers I've ever known with experience in general engineering, tool, jig, die and pattern making, casting, spincasting, engraving, metallurgy, vacuum forming, fibreglass, the design and manufacture of scientific equipment, the building of steam engines, etc. In effect a one man shop.
Towards the end of January, Robbie flew to Port Elizabeth for an interview with Jimmy and the deal was on. The message got through to several people who had already resigned and to the few remaining people at CAV who had been planning to resign for months and some of these joined Robbie in the new venture. I was then falsely accused of stealing the CAV staff and breaking my restraint on trade. I can say more about what followed but there's no point in continuing with this aspect as CAV is history. All I am prepared to say is that motor cars, TV sets, antiques, etc, ie inanimate objects with no minds of their own can be stolen. You can't steal people. They have minds of their own. If they're happy where they are they stay. If they're unhappy they leave.Jimmy is an astute business man and he saw an opportunity which he took.
Initially premises were rented in Prime Park and Jimmy commissioned the building of a new 26,000 sq ft factory.
I would also like to point out that all the postings I've done on this website about Jimmy and his cars were my choice and done in journalistic mode. I have never been on Jimmy's payroll and have never received one cent from him. I’ve been a matchmaker twice and both marriages have stood the test of time. It's only human nature to hope that when you've introduced people that it all works out. Imagine the typical cartoon scene of the wife in dressing gown, hair in curlers and rolling pin in hand waiting for her husband to return home from a night out with the boys. As she beats him around the head, she shouts, 'If it wasn't for that jerk Andre I would never have known you!'. Get my point? In fact I must stop introducing people to one another and learn how to put money into my own back pocket!
With regard to the $50,000 price tag for the coming Hi-Tech Automotive/Superformance GT40 MK11 with monocoque I certainly didn't intend stirring up a hornet's nest with the announcement in January this year and apologise if I upset some people. The reason was that several people had either e-mailed or phoned me to ask for the anticipated price. Also costs and prices of cars and components have often been mentioned on this website. I then phoned Jimmy to ask him and he gave me permission to post the Coupe and GT40 expected prices. He recently reminded me that I should have said in 'the low 50,000s' and not spot on $50,000.
This whole issue must be seen in perspective. The development of a monocoque with about 250 separate panels is a great deal more complex than the design, jigging and manufacture of a space frame chassis. I was privileged to have witnessed Robbie developing the GTD/CAV space frame chassis, assisting with the CAV stainless steel monocoque and then developing the new Hi-Tech Automotive monocoque. However, once the monocoque tooling has been made and the formed and pressed panels placed in the jig for spot welding the cost and time difference between that and a space frame cladded with pre-shaped panels is that not all that great, certainly not great enough to put the monocoque into a stratospheric price range.
From a purist point of view it could be great to have a GT40 with authentic monocoque but it's not a necessary feature. If one had to park two MK1 GT40s side by side, both identical twins in Gulf colours, one with monocoque and the other with space frame, what's actually the difference? The monocoque version won't be any faster or won't handle any better. Some people live in timber framed houses and other in brick and mortar houses. Both equally comfortable homes, just different methods of construction.
If one examines the chassis construction of racing sports cars in the 1960s/1970s era most were space frames. Eric Broadley of Lola cars was one of the pioneers if not the pioneer of the monocoque concept as all Lolas from the 1963 MK6 had monocoques. The pioneering MK6 had a central monocoque tub with front and rear space frames and thereafter from the T70 onwards, ie 210, 212, 292, etc, all Lolas had full monocoques.
The Mclaren M8 also had a full monocoque.
Let's look at space frames - Alfa T33, BMW M1, Chevron B8, all racing Ferraris, Lotus 23, and all racing Porsches with the exception of the 904 which had an unusual ladder/box type chassis.
Semi-monocoques, like the Lola MK6 with central tubs and front and rear space frames attached - Chaparral (fibreglass tub), Chevron B16 onwards, Jaguar E-Type, Matra MS650, Renault A442.
I remember Ron Earp doing research on GT40 prices and arriving at figure of $75,000 as being a typical price for a turnkey car in the US. I still think that the Jimmy Price monocoque car will land up more or less in that price bracket, but then it will all depend on engine and gearbox choices.
As I've said before, the GT40 industry is no more than a cottage industry and I doubt that the handful of manufacturers in the world produce even a consistent 12 cars per month between them. I stand to be corrected. Having said that all the manufacturers and their agents have their friends, fans and supporters who'll buy from them. I can't believe that because one person says that he's bringing out a fancy GT40 that the whole word will stop and wait. In a somewhat bizarre comparison remember that in a world of about six billion people (yeah, 6000,000,000!) some 26 million VW Beetles found owners!
With the recent an unexpected strengthening of the rand, South African exporters have been taking strain as in most cases prices are fixed in foreign currencies. For this and other logistical reasons Jimmy decided to shut shop in Cape Town and moved the GT40 project to Hi-Tech Automotive HQ in Port Elizabeth. Development is on-going and all being well the first cars should come 'off the line' early next year.
With regard to the re-born CAV GT40, now produced by Auto Futura, only good news.
Background that led to the formation of Auto Futura as follows.
During 2000 I was snooping around Cape Town looking for competent technical people to join CAV (talent spotting!) and was aware of Jean Fourie, owner of Carcraft, who had built some great Cobras and Porsche Speedsters. Jean’s name is pronounced 'Jhan' as in male French and not 'Jeen'. As his lease was about to expire at his factory I suggested that he should move into Prime Park, the industrial complex in Diep River, a suburb about 10 miles due south of Cape Town central, where CAV was. As Jean ran his own company I didn't want to insult him by offering him a job but suggested that if he came along at his own risk he could manufacture parts or components for CAV on a sub-contract basis. In fact we were talking to Ginetta at the time to build the G33 and I was hoping to involve Jean in this project, which also turned sour for whatever reason, after I left.
Jean moved in with us at Prime Park and after meeting my partners he did eventually join CAV as full-time production manager, but retaining ownership of Carcraft, where he worked after hours and week-ends. During 2001 he also resigned and continued running Carcraft on a full time basis.
After I sold my shares in CAV I also rented a small unit in Prime Prime to run my own non-automotive businesses, in particular my design company, Dynamic Designs. Jean moved into the adjoining unit and John Spence rented space from me and moved in with his own plant and equipment. John, with whom I had previously worked on design projects is an astute and clever design engineer who was involved in the development of the BP Fuelsaver concept. The car owner simply hands a tag attached to his key ring to the pump attendant. The tag contains a microchip which identifies the owner and the transaction is automatically debited to the card account without any paperwork or signatures. John was also involved with the design and development of equipment for the treatment and healing of sports injuries. He assisted me with the prototype of my patented fold-up workbench.
It was in this situation that Jean and John started working together and realised that they were compatible as business partners.
Eventually someone connected with CAV bought all the GT40 tooling from the liquidator and then made a deal with Jean and John to continue with production.They then moved to a new upmarket factory complex, Westlake Business Park, in the Constantia Valley, about 12 miles due south of Cape Town central and set up Auto Futura.
The Auto Futura premises looks more like a hospital clinic than a car factory and everything done there is the ultimate in perfection. In fact the buildings in the secure complex look more like apartment blocks as opposed to factories. Some 35 changes have been made to the original CAV GT40 and target is only two cars per month with a staff of 11 which makes it neat and tidy and manageable. Both Jean and John are dedicated and serious guys in their mid-thirties and they don't get involved in all the crap and politics of the industry. They just get on with the job at hand which is the way it should be and a formula for success. For what my opinion is worth the re-born CAV GT40 comes highly recommended.
I attach an article on Auto Futura and the re-born CAV GT40 from the South African edition of POPULAR MECHANICS.
This then is the somewhat long-winded tale of 'The Life and Times of the GT40 in South Africa'. Better that forum members know it all rather than snippets. It's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
In conclusion nothing is entirely negative. To be fair had it not been for CAV the Automotive Directorate of the British Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) wouldn't have invited me as their guest to the 2002 Racing Car Show at the NEC in Birmingham. They had heard of my role in setting up CAV through the local British Consulate and were looking for someone to motivate similar deals for British car builders. As a result 10 British manufacturers have expressed and interest in having their cars built in Cape Town. Some negotiations are on-going but can't build them all! One door shuts and others open!
Best regards to all,
Andre 40
Hi Everyone,
Sorry, haven't posted for a while, too busy planning another automotive venture which I hope will work for me and my friends this time!
I would once and for all like to set the record straight with regard to CAV, Hi-Tech Automotive/Superformance and Auto Futura. There are far too many distorted and incorrect stories floating around the GT40 world. According to research conducted by Toastmasters International people only remember 13% of what they hear. This seems to apply. Please bear with me, this report is lengthy but I believe important.
Much of this has been posted before, but many new members might have missed out.
Sadly the specialised car industry, which should be exciting and fun for all, seems to be plagued by intrigue, jealousy, back stabbing, partnership clashes, deals going wrong, bankruptcies, deposits taken with no delivery in sight, etc, etc. Another problem is that people who love cars and who made their money in other businesses become involved with car manufacturing and see things through rose tinted spectacles. My advice is if you haven't been at the coal face of car building stay out of it. Rather go down to your local favourite sports car dealer, ie Porsche, part with your money and enjoy!
Luckily for me, at age 22, I was thrown in at the deep end at Porsche by having to do a three month technical training course before being let loose in the Export/Sales Department. Despite not being an engineer or a mechanic I worked my way through every single department, engine and gearbox build, Reutters body works, the 'assembly line' etc. It was a great experience that taught me that car building was a complex business. Apart from being a high risk industry if cars aren't built correctly people's lives are at risk.
In 1990/91 Norman Lewis and I built a KVA-type GT40 MK1 for an English client, he hands-on and me in charge of admin, cost control, parts sourcing, etc. In November 1991 I went to the UK and called on GT Developments in Poole, Dorset with my build and cost schedule. I met up with Simon Osborne as Ray Christopher had temporarily left the company for health reasons as far as I can recall. Even though the SA rand traded at 4.8 to the pound sterling Simon was amazed at how 'cheaply' we could build cars. I suggested that they should think in terms of having their cars built in South Africa.
For the next six years I kept in touch by phone and fax and then out of the blue in May 1998, I received a fax from Ray Christopher, who had returned to GTD, saying 'we must now talk' as the rand had weakened to 8.8 to the pound.
In early 1999 I met up with two partners who had made money from an invention and were looking for a new and exciting business opportunity. I certainly didn't have any money with which to start an automotive venture and the upshot was the formation of Cape Advanced Vehicles (CAV), obviously named after Ford Advanced Vehicles, with a deal to produce GTD GT40s under licence for export mainly to the US but elsewhere as well. The two partners were to be joint CEOs and me Managing Director.
The business got going in October 1999, when the container with a body/chassis kit to be copied arrived from GTD. I had invited Robbie Senekal to come on board as chief engineer and he became CAV's first employee. We in fact unpacked the container thereby starting a new chapter in our lives. By April 2000 production of the space (tube) frame version had begun. During that year someone else was brought in as a 'consultant' and by July my partners appointed him Managing Director instead of me. I started writing the 65 page Build Manual and the 45 page Owner's Manual towards the end of that year and by March 2001 with those tasks completed I felt like what one can have in the British cabinet, a 'minister without portfolio' or more bluntly 'a spare prick at a wedding'. I sold my shares and walked out.
Insinuations have been made that I made 'a lot of money' at CAV and it's this incorrect perception that largely motivated this report. When the company started my partners decreed that the directors wouldn't draw salaries 'until the company was profitable'. I had to rely an on ad hoc income from four other business interests plus journalism which was difficult time wise as CAV was a full time job for me. True Catch 22 position. In the end my shares were paid out over an 18 month period in equal instalments which amounted to no more than a retrospective below average 18 months salary. That's all I ever made from CAV, which hardly puts me in the Bill Gates league. When I left I agreed to a five year restraint of trade on the GT40.
Following my departure some 30 employees resigned during the next 10 months.
I've just read a book entitled 'The Piranha Club' by Timothy Collings. It's a fascinating story of the people who ran and run the world of F1 racing, ie Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley, Enzo Ferrari, Charles and John Cooper, Colin Chapman, Jack Brabham, Ken Tyrrell, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Jackie Stewart and several others. There is one interesting common denominator and that was and is the ability of these gentlemen to spot talent and to surround themselves with talented people to help them win world championships. A current case in point is the phenomenal success of Ferrari. I hear from people with close Ferrari connections that their success can be attributed to one thing, a close knit, cohesive and happy team with no rotten apples. This is clearly evident from the sea of red overalls that surge forward towards the pit wall as Schumi takes the chequered flag. One doesn't have to be a psychologist to read the positive body language of the team members. Anything less than this will also end in companies becoming history. People pulling in different directions never works.
In early January 2002 Jimmy Price phoned me to ask me about the rumoured CAV resignations. I told him that he had been correctly informed whereupon he jokingly said that perhaps he should have his GT40 built in Cape Town. When I flew to Port Elizabeth in September 1999, to pay Jimmy a courtesy call the first thing he said was that he would also be building a GT40 'sometime in the future'. When my partners subsequently flew to PE to meet him he gave them the same message.
About a week later Jimmy phoned again and this time seriously asked what I thought about setting up in Cape Town (500 miles due west from Port Elizabeth) as car builders, in particular those with GT40 experience, weren't exactly 'two a penny' in South Africa. When I said that it could be a good idea he asked who I would recommend to head up the Cape Town operation. My immediate response was Robbie Senekal, one of the best all round engineers I've ever known with experience in general engineering, tool, jig, die and pattern making, casting, spincasting, engraving, metallurgy, vacuum forming, fibreglass, the design and manufacture of scientific equipment, the building of steam engines, etc. In effect a one man shop.
Towards the end of January, Robbie flew to Port Elizabeth for an interview with Jimmy and the deal was on. The message got through to several people who had already resigned and to the few remaining people at CAV who had been planning to resign for months and some of these joined Robbie in the new venture. I was then falsely accused of stealing the CAV staff and breaking my restraint on trade. I can say more about what followed but there's no point in continuing with this aspect as CAV is history. All I am prepared to say is that motor cars, TV sets, antiques, etc, ie inanimate objects with no minds of their own can be stolen. You can't steal people. They have minds of their own. If they're happy where they are they stay. If they're unhappy they leave.Jimmy is an astute business man and he saw an opportunity which he took.
Initially premises were rented in Prime Park and Jimmy commissioned the building of a new 26,000 sq ft factory.
I would also like to point out that all the postings I've done on this website about Jimmy and his cars were my choice and done in journalistic mode. I have never been on Jimmy's payroll and have never received one cent from him. I’ve been a matchmaker twice and both marriages have stood the test of time. It's only human nature to hope that when you've introduced people that it all works out. Imagine the typical cartoon scene of the wife in dressing gown, hair in curlers and rolling pin in hand waiting for her husband to return home from a night out with the boys. As she beats him around the head, she shouts, 'If it wasn't for that jerk Andre I would never have known you!'. Get my point? In fact I must stop introducing people to one another and learn how to put money into my own back pocket!
With regard to the $50,000 price tag for the coming Hi-Tech Automotive/Superformance GT40 MK11 with monocoque I certainly didn't intend stirring up a hornet's nest with the announcement in January this year and apologise if I upset some people. The reason was that several people had either e-mailed or phoned me to ask for the anticipated price. Also costs and prices of cars and components have often been mentioned on this website. I then phoned Jimmy to ask him and he gave me permission to post the Coupe and GT40 expected prices. He recently reminded me that I should have said in 'the low 50,000s' and not spot on $50,000.
This whole issue must be seen in perspective. The development of a monocoque with about 250 separate panels is a great deal more complex than the design, jigging and manufacture of a space frame chassis. I was privileged to have witnessed Robbie developing the GTD/CAV space frame chassis, assisting with the CAV stainless steel monocoque and then developing the new Hi-Tech Automotive monocoque. However, once the monocoque tooling has been made and the formed and pressed panels placed in the jig for spot welding the cost and time difference between that and a space frame cladded with pre-shaped panels is that not all that great, certainly not great enough to put the monocoque into a stratospheric price range.
From a purist point of view it could be great to have a GT40 with authentic monocoque but it's not a necessary feature. If one had to park two MK1 GT40s side by side, both identical twins in Gulf colours, one with monocoque and the other with space frame, what's actually the difference? The monocoque version won't be any faster or won't handle any better. Some people live in timber framed houses and other in brick and mortar houses. Both equally comfortable homes, just different methods of construction.
If one examines the chassis construction of racing sports cars in the 1960s/1970s era most were space frames. Eric Broadley of Lola cars was one of the pioneers if not the pioneer of the monocoque concept as all Lolas from the 1963 MK6 had monocoques. The pioneering MK6 had a central monocoque tub with front and rear space frames and thereafter from the T70 onwards, ie 210, 212, 292, etc, all Lolas had full monocoques.
The Mclaren M8 also had a full monocoque.
Let's look at space frames - Alfa T33, BMW M1, Chevron B8, all racing Ferraris, Lotus 23, and all racing Porsches with the exception of the 904 which had an unusual ladder/box type chassis.
Semi-monocoques, like the Lola MK6 with central tubs and front and rear space frames attached - Chaparral (fibreglass tub), Chevron B16 onwards, Jaguar E-Type, Matra MS650, Renault A442.
I remember Ron Earp doing research on GT40 prices and arriving at figure of $75,000 as being a typical price for a turnkey car in the US. I still think that the Jimmy Price monocoque car will land up more or less in that price bracket, but then it will all depend on engine and gearbox choices.
As I've said before, the GT40 industry is no more than a cottage industry and I doubt that the handful of manufacturers in the world produce even a consistent 12 cars per month between them. I stand to be corrected. Having said that all the manufacturers and their agents have their friends, fans and supporters who'll buy from them. I can't believe that because one person says that he's bringing out a fancy GT40 that the whole word will stop and wait. In a somewhat bizarre comparison remember that in a world of about six billion people (yeah, 6000,000,000!) some 26 million VW Beetles found owners!
With the recent an unexpected strengthening of the rand, South African exporters have been taking strain as in most cases prices are fixed in foreign currencies. For this and other logistical reasons Jimmy decided to shut shop in Cape Town and moved the GT40 project to Hi-Tech Automotive HQ in Port Elizabeth. Development is on-going and all being well the first cars should come 'off the line' early next year.
With regard to the re-born CAV GT40, now produced by Auto Futura, only good news.
Background that led to the formation of Auto Futura as follows.
During 2000 I was snooping around Cape Town looking for competent technical people to join CAV (talent spotting!) and was aware of Jean Fourie, owner of Carcraft, who had built some great Cobras and Porsche Speedsters. Jean’s name is pronounced 'Jhan' as in male French and not 'Jeen'. As his lease was about to expire at his factory I suggested that he should move into Prime Park, the industrial complex in Diep River, a suburb about 10 miles due south of Cape Town central, where CAV was. As Jean ran his own company I didn't want to insult him by offering him a job but suggested that if he came along at his own risk he could manufacture parts or components for CAV on a sub-contract basis. In fact we were talking to Ginetta at the time to build the G33 and I was hoping to involve Jean in this project, which also turned sour for whatever reason, after I left.
Jean moved in with us at Prime Park and after meeting my partners he did eventually join CAV as full-time production manager, but retaining ownership of Carcraft, where he worked after hours and week-ends. During 2001 he also resigned and continued running Carcraft on a full time basis.
After I sold my shares in CAV I also rented a small unit in Prime Prime to run my own non-automotive businesses, in particular my design company, Dynamic Designs. Jean moved into the adjoining unit and John Spence rented space from me and moved in with his own plant and equipment. John, with whom I had previously worked on design projects is an astute and clever design engineer who was involved in the development of the BP Fuelsaver concept. The car owner simply hands a tag attached to his key ring to the pump attendant. The tag contains a microchip which identifies the owner and the transaction is automatically debited to the card account without any paperwork or signatures. John was also involved with the design and development of equipment for the treatment and healing of sports injuries. He assisted me with the prototype of my patented fold-up workbench.
It was in this situation that Jean and John started working together and realised that they were compatible as business partners.
Eventually someone connected with CAV bought all the GT40 tooling from the liquidator and then made a deal with Jean and John to continue with production.They then moved to a new upmarket factory complex, Westlake Business Park, in the Constantia Valley, about 12 miles due south of Cape Town central and set up Auto Futura.
The Auto Futura premises looks more like a hospital clinic than a car factory and everything done there is the ultimate in perfection. In fact the buildings in the secure complex look more like apartment blocks as opposed to factories. Some 35 changes have been made to the original CAV GT40 and target is only two cars per month with a staff of 11 which makes it neat and tidy and manageable. Both Jean and John are dedicated and serious guys in their mid-thirties and they don't get involved in all the crap and politics of the industry. They just get on with the job at hand which is the way it should be and a formula for success. For what my opinion is worth the re-born CAV GT40 comes highly recommended.
I attach an article on Auto Futura and the re-born CAV GT40 from the South African edition of POPULAR MECHANICS.
This then is the somewhat long-winded tale of 'The Life and Times of the GT40 in South Africa'. Better that forum members know it all rather than snippets. It's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
In conclusion nothing is entirely negative. To be fair had it not been for CAV the Automotive Directorate of the British Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) wouldn't have invited me as their guest to the 2002 Racing Car Show at the NEC in Birmingham. They had heard of my role in setting up CAV through the local British Consulate and were looking for someone to motivate similar deals for British car builders. As a result 10 British manufacturers have expressed and interest in having their cars built in Cape Town. Some negotiations are on-going but can't build them all! One door shuts and others open!
Best regards to all,
Andre 40
