UNIPOWER GT
Past Club events over the years
Soon after its formation in 1972, the Unipower GT Owners Club as it was then, met regularly every month during the summer at the Royal Oak pub in Brockham, Surrey, England. Around six cars and their owners/girlfriend/wives would come along, with an occasional overseas owner making the journey, although back then most of the cars production, was UK based. This continued for many years, pretty much into the '80's, when the demand from Japan for interesting Mini engine'd specials saw the export of a considerable number to Japan, depleting the number of UK cars. With only three Road cars currently roadworthy in the UK, these gatherings are no longer viable and are limited to Anniversary events such as the 50th Anniversary Celebration at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in 2016.
Royal Oak pub in Brockham monthly gatherings 1978
Classic Car Shows over the Years
Six years after the Club's formation, it was decided in 1979 to exhibit at the inaugural 1979 Classic Car Show, here in the UK on the 5th-7th October at Alexandra Palace, London. This was such a success that the Club then exhibited at these National shows in 1980 at Earls Court, London on the 3rd-5th October before again in subsequent years at the Metropole Hotel and then the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985 & 1986.
After 1986, there was a big gap until in 2017 & 2019, the Unipower GT Register as it had become, exhibited at the Birmingham NEC once again.
1979 Alexandra Palace, London
1980 Earls Court, London
1981 Earls Court, London
1982 Metropole Hotel, Brighton
1983 Metropole Hotel, Brighton
1984 Metropole Hotel, Brighton
1985 Metropole Hotel, Brighton - Stand 830
1986 Metropole Hotel, Brighton
1987 Metropole Hotel, Brighton - Stand 830
2017 National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham
2019 National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham
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UK National Club meetings
During the 1980's as well as the monthly gatherings in Surrey, the Club organised an Annual meeting at the Syon Park, a 56.6 hectare garden of Syon House, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland in Isleworth, London. These Annual Gatherings of Unipower's were held in 1986, 1986 & 1987
1979 Hindhead Show, Surrey
At the Show, two Unipower GT's were assessed by a panel of Judges from Car Mechanics Magazine
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Car in foreground was awarded 'Best Preserved'
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Car in the middle was awarded 'Best GT'
1985 Syon Park Gathering
1986 Syon Park Gathering
1987 Syon Park Gathering
50th Anniversary Celebrations at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu in 2016
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first Unipower GT, three cars and a 'restoration in progress' met at the National Motor Museum in August 2016. Present were Mark Glaisher's 1167.27 (Yellow), Tim Carpenter's 766.1 (Red), Gerry Hulford's 766.2 (Yellow-Competition car) and Thomas Jay's 868.43 (Turquoise Blue) displaying its work in progress and new chassis.
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Our special guests for the day were the Founder of the Unipower GT project and Club's Patron, Ernie Unger along with Val Dare-Bryan who engineered the cars mechanical's and development. many other owners both from the UK and overseas came along to celebrate this once in a lifetime event.
Ernie Unger (far left) in conversation with Thomas Jay (far right)
