Yellow sports car
RW Karma, a Ferrari Dino 246 GT replica
Source: Wikimedia Commons

RW Kit Cars Ltd. was an English manufacturer of kit cars, founded in 1983 by Roger Woolley. Based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England, the company ceased operations in 2000.

Vehicles

RW Karma

In 1984 RW Kit Cars took over Perry Automotive Development’s Karma project. Perry had been manufacturing the Karma, which was designed by Custom Classics of California, since 1982. It is a fibreglass copy of the Ferrari Dino 246 GT, built around the floor pan of a Volkswagen Beetle, a popular choice of donor vehicle at the time. RW continued to sell the VW-based car, but also added a new backbone chassis that allowed the engine to be mid-mounted and Ford components to be used as an alternative to the VW option.[1]

RW Chopper

The Chopper is a tricycle powered by a VW Beetle engine. It was produced from 1983 until 1984, during which time about five were made.[2]

RW Taurus

The Taurus is a Lamborghini Countach replica based on the VW Beetle. It was manufactured from 1984 until 1985, during which time about 32 were produced, most of them exported to Germany.[3]

RW 427

The 427 is a replica of the AC Cobra, manufactured from 1988 until 1990. About 28 were built, 18 of them with a front engine and rear-wheel drive configuration, of which 10 based on the VW floor pan were exported to France.[3]

References

  1. pp. 255, 275
  2. p. 170
  3. p. 221

Bibliography

Hole, Steve. A–Z of Kit-Cars: The Definitive Encyclopaedia of the UK’s Kit-Car Industry Since 1949. Haynes Publishing, 2012.
Lawrence, Mike. A–Z of Sports Cars, 1945–1990. Bay View Books, 1996.
Rees, Chris. Three-Wheelers A–Z:The Definitive Encyclopaedia of Three-Wheeled Vehicles from 1940 to Date. Quiller Print, 2013.