Gordon-Keeble

Gordon-Keeble was a British car brand. The factory was initially located in Slough (indeed, of 'The Office') and eventually in Southampton. Production of the handmade luxury four-seater took place between 1963 and 1967.

History of Gordon-Keeble

John Gordon and Jim Keeble built the first Gordon GT in 1959, by a Corvette V8 engine block on a chassis of a Peerless to assemble. This whetted their appetite for more, and they built a 4.6-liter Chevy V8 onto a custom-designed steel chassis. This combination was subsequently taken to Turin, Italy, where a custom body designed by Giugiaro was built by Bertone. The interior had a classic luxury look with black dials, toggle switches, and quilted upholstery.

Gordon Keeble GK1 from 1964

The car was shown in 1960 at the Bertone stand at the Geneva Motor Show, then still under the name 'Keeble'. The prototype had been delayed because parts were delivered late. After extensive testing, the model went to Detroit to be shown to Chevrolet. This led to that brand supplying the engines and transmissions for the car.

Beautiful neoclassical interior of the Gordon Keeble GK1 (apart from the ridiculous radio installed in it, of course).

The car went into production with a hefty 5,4-liter engine block, and the steel body was replaced by a fiberglass version produced by Williams & Pritchard Limited and designed by Bertone. The interior received a dashboard full of dials and toggle switches, combined with an abundance of quilted upholstery. The scent of wood and leather enhanced the feeling of a true classic British sports car. Nowadays, a Gordon Keeble is sometimes mistaken for a Aston Martin DB5 and that is not entirely incomprehensible.

The 5,4-liter block delivered 236 horsepower to the rear wheels and propelled the 1436-kilogram weight from 0 to 100 km/h in 7,7 seconds. The top speed was a respectable 225 km/h, a feat matched by only one other British car of the time: the Jaguar E-type. The GK1 was quite thirsty and therefore featured two fuel tanks with a total capacity of 90 liters.

Gordon Keeble GK1 engine block from 1964

Production stalls at 99 due to bankruptcy

Gordon-Keeble intended to build approximately 200 vehicles per year, but the company ran into financial difficulties shortly after production began. Not only was the selling price of £2800 the average price of a house at the time, but logistical problems with suppliers meant it was impossible to maintain production at a good and continuous level and ensure a stable stream of income. The company went bankrupt in 1965, and in 1967, the last of 99 Gordon Keebles rolled off the factory floor.