Background To The Nova

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31499, 13 October 1967, Page 10

Background To The Nova

’THE prototype of the prox posed New Zealand car, the Anziel Nova, is not a New Zealand design, but is a version of the FWS project of the Reliant Motor Company of Tamworth, England. However, if the Nova goes into production, it will be a locally-developed version of the prototype. Reliant produces several car models which it sells both in Britain and overseas. All have fibreglass bodies. The main car in the line is the 3-litre Scimitar, a grand tourer with luxury' fittings and a top speed of 125 m.p.h., others include the 600 c.c. five-seater Rebel and the three-wheeled 600 c.c. fourseater Regal. There are also van and pick-up versions of the Regal.

FWS PROJECT The FWS was designed by Reliant for production overseas, to further the company’s substantial export earnings. The car is now being assembled in Turkey, with a 1200 c.c. engine, as the Anadol. Reliant has always planned to offer the project to other countries, and even-

tually the car will also be made in Britain.

The FWS is the nucleus of a plan to export “packaged motor industries” to less industrialised countries throughout the world, and nearly two years of joint preparation' by the Istanbul company of Otosan and the Reliant firm culminated in Turkish Government approval of the Anadol project in 1966.

Every 1000 Anadols produced by Otosan are worth about £250,000 to the British exchequer, Reliant says. ANADOL

In Turkey, the content of the Anadol is 50 per cent local, the rest comes from Britain. Reliant, after having produced the original body moulds and chassis design, are shipping to Istanbul engines and gearboxes, rear axles, steering and brake equipment, suspensions and electrical items. The Anadol costs £lO5O in Turkey, compared with £l6OO for a wholly-imported Cortina. In Turkey a 60,000 sq. ft factory was built to produce

the cars, and two cars were built in Britain as pre-produc-tion prototypes. The Otosan company’s investment in the project was £600,000, and that of Reliant was £lOO,OOO.

Reliant’s package deal included the design of the factory, the training of key workers, the supply of all moulds, jigs and production fixtures, the supply of drawings and technical information, and the supply of detailed assembly literature and quality control instructions. The production of Anadols in Turkey is supervised by a resident engineer supplied by Reliant, and Reliant is responsible for the continued development of the vehicle, including the development of additions to the range.

NOVA PROJECT The initiators of the Nova project, I. and A. Gibbs, of Auckland, went “shopping” throughout the world for a suitable car about three years ago. They arrived at the Reliant Company on the same day as representatives from Turkey’s Otosan organisation, and both groups saw the answer to their needs in the FWS project The Nova prototype is different from the Anadol in several details. It is three inches longer, is designed to take a larger engine, and has more luxurious trim and finish. The intention has always been to control and develop the final design in New Zealand.

The Anadol is produced only in a two-door version, the Nova would be produced in both two and four-door versions. A price of $2400 has been mentioned, but this is not final. The company is confident that it can produce a car the equal of others in its class in quality and finish, and sell it at a comparable price. FACTORY The establishment of a factory here would differ greatly from the system used in Turkey. Higher local content is envisaged even in the first cars, and any factory would

be locally designed, built, and developed. Sir Laurence Hartnett, the technical adviser on the project, has no connection with Reliant.

He said recently that the production model would probably differ considerably from the prototype, although the body would remain the same. The New Zealand company’s designers would make modifications to suit local conditions and the production Nova might not even have the same engine and transmission as the prototype. While the basic concept and design of the Nova bad come from Reliant, the car would be developed in New Zealand. The first moulds for the Ogle-designed body—which would be made of fire-resist-ant fibreglass—would probably come from Reliant, but subsequent moulds would be made in this country.