Kit Car

With a kit car ( to German Kit Car ) is a converted with a kit series vehicle, as well as vehicles that are fully emerged from a kit (ie including chassis / frame; A., excl engine, transmission, axles ). The vehicles resulting therefrom are admitted normally not as new vehicles, but as a reconstruction of the original vehicle and the year of construction. A TÜV full acceptance is required for admission in Germany. Vehicles of this type are very popular especially in the UK.

The aim is usually either a rare, expensive car look recreate ( esp. expensive vintage car or supercar ), or a completely custom vehicle to create.

Base vehicle in Germany was usually the VW Beetle, because the body was separated from the bottom plate and could be replaced. He was also very popular in large numbers and because of simple technology available at hobbyists. In the 1970s, based on the VW Beetle Buggy was very popular - one kit, usually made of plastic to an open fun vehicle. There were many so-called replicas, so replicas, such as the Porsche 356, on beetles or other basis.

Furthermore, the Citroën 2CV is used ( " duck " ) until today as a basis for Kitcars (example: Hoffmann 2CV convertible). Particularly common are small roadster like the Lomax found here.

In the 1980s, the Pontiac Fiero was a very popular base for the development of modern kit cars. This vehicle is suitable due to its mid-engine concept and its steel frame ( with attached plastic body ) for the construction of replicas of Italian sports cars. It was even expelled from the American Pontiac dealer network a Fiero with a body that was the Ferrari 308 GTB ajar. Today there are Pontiac Fiero - based a wide range of kit-car - kits, which can be realized with simple manual skills.

Modern cars with unibody construction are only bad for kit cars. Today's conversions are mainly spread on optical car tuning. Also available as a kit, many trikes, whose tail is based on the VW Beetle and the front part of a motorcycle fork.

History

As the English term already indicates the mass of the kit cars and their origin in racing enthusiastic UK is to seek mid-20th century. In addition to the stimulus that a KitCar was cheaper to purchase than a ready-built, resulted from a kit car the opportunity to the maximum customization of the vehicle.

In addition, conducive to the KitCar culture in Britain was a special tax legislation, the " self-made " more tax efficient than bought ready made ​​. The KitCar also solves the problem of granting approval for self-built vehicles. This is essential as the basis for granting an operating license to the licensing authority. Completely free built vehicles cause namely an enormous cost to the grant of operating license. Should the buyer of kit cars from not in the plan, is a national type-certificate that has obtained the kit-car manufacturers and mitliefert recognized by the regulatory authorities. The conformity of the vehicle type certification need only be tested once at TÜV and causes only minor costs.

The most famous, because most common kit car is likely the Lotus Super 7 Lotus to be out of the house, whose manufacturing license is today at the company Caterham Cars in Surrey (UK). The idea for this vehicle comes from Colin Chapman and has its origin in racing and his early 1957 (Seven S1). This shows that historically evolved proper role of the kit cars. From this vehicle, which today is considered a " cult car ", there are different manufacturers of a wide variety of derivatives under various names.

Today, the price differences between the kits of kit cars and their final versions are just more low. The savings are outweighed by the cost of assembly by a multiple. The motive to build a kit car today has more to the joy of " screws" and the opportunity to own a unique piece as a vehicle. Goods earlier kit cars in fact an economic alternative, they are now a more expensive Spleen a committed fan base. The problem is aggravated today that a number of safety and environmental approval conditions significantly increase the cost of development and distribution of kit cars.

Even in the early days of the automobile industry, there was the possibility of producing a "dream car " in-house for a special group of interested people. Example of this was a 1896 developed by the Englishman Thomas Hyler White ( kit ) motor vehicle ( engl. kit car ) called, which was as well as the following models assembled by the respective purchasers of the components themselves ( published including technical drawings for the self in the magazine English Mechanic ).

Current kit cars are mostly replicas of famous and expensive vintage cars in 1:1 scale, almost every craft gifted person can independently create at home to use after completion of the project, public streets with this car. These replicas of various famous, older types of cars are usually acquired as uncompleted kit, ie with separate chassis (chassis ) and body. They appear externally as the original. Polyester resin-impregnated glass fiber mats are used for manufacturing, not the usual "tin dress " for the body by the manufacturer usually.

On the technical side, the interested party may also hear a significant deviation from the original on such vehicles. The components such as engine, transmission, axles, etc. are taken from the current, most commonly used motor vehicles and often worked technically before the conversion, ie worn parts are replaced. The classic car enthusiasts thus allow the kit cars ownership of vehicles that would otherwise be financially prohibitive for them in the original. Apart from genuine Classic cars are often limited for everyday use.

Replanting problems

The shape of a car may fall under copyright. A vehicle that is to be " reconstructed " and its first presentation within the previous 75 years, therefore, where appropriate, require the manufacturer's approval. Some manufacturers refuse these rare vehicles and go possibly even legal action against replicas before, to obtain the " scarcity value " of their original classic car among others.

Footnotes

• " Commercial use " of a Ferrari Formula 1 replica forbidden, accessed April 26, 2013
• Ferrari forbidden vintage replica of himself at Ferrari - frame and engine, accessed April 26, 2013
• Ferrari is in derogation of restaurant advertising with Jumping Horse, accessed April 26, 2013