Originally designed by John Barlow, the owner of the Royale Motor Company who were located within the area of Preston, Lancashire. The Sabre, which was launched in April 1994, was sold as a kit to hark back to the beautiful designs of the art deco cars like the Delahaye, Delage, and even older Jaguars.

The Sabre would harness the solid running gear of the Ford Sierras/Granadas/Scorpios. Sales of this kit were extremely successful and in 1995 they even offered a left-hand drive variant.

This is a truly unique car that could only have been thought up in an English shed, like so many other beautiful British kits. This car with its two-tone paint job and the cream leather interior is possibly one of the most striking cars out there.

Work started on this car when the first owner purchased the kit in January of 1998 and would be completed about 18 months later in the June of 1999. The kit was the simple part, the donor car started life out as a run-of-the-mill Sierra 2.0L GL which would donate its DOHC carburetor engine along with its 5-speed gearbox, brakes, steering, rear suspension, and other assorted parts.

There are a great collection of photographs that show the progress of the build which offer a great insight into how the first owner, a professional engineer, built the car.

Not long after the car was finished the first owner decided to upgrade a few elements. It would now get an engine from a Sierra GLS, a 2.0L injected engine, better than the carburetor setup. Along with the better engine, it would also receive all-round disc brakes, a new rear suspension setup, and power steering.

After a long stint with the first owner, it would find a new home in about 2019, however, it would not stay with this owner for long and would be sold at the end of 2021. It is now coming to the market again in the hope to find it’s forever home. Unlike modern cars this Royale Sabre has oodles of character, it never fails to turn a head or put a smile on the owner’s face. It is a perfect car to add to the collection.

With this being a kit car built by an enthusiast there is a lot of paperwork present with this car, three folders to be precise. Along with the legal documents such as the V5 and MOT certificates, there is a load of invoices from around the time of the build in 1999.

There are even the original build instructions and wiring diagrams, if you look through these instructions, you can see how involved the process is of building this car. The first owner would have put a lot of time and money, around about £15,000, into getting this car on the road back in the late ‘90s.

Within the bundle, there should be an invoice that will document the fact that the radiator has been through a re-coring process in May of 2021.

The next owner can have a look through these documents and see how involved the build process of this car was. Another bonus of having these instructions is that you can confidently maintain this car by yourself.

The interior of this Royale Sabre is in great condition, like the running gear the two seats have also come from a donor car. These seats have come out of a Vauxhall Astra GTI and trimmed with Connolly hide with modified sierra head restraints, this job was the only job that was outsourced to another professional. These seats have stood the test of time well and are presented today in really good condition.

The burr walnut dash is a beautiful addition to this interior and adds a real 1930s element. When you factor in the classic-looking information dials the interior of this kit car is a brilliant place to sit and take in the miles on your summer road trips. All the elements within this interior have been chosen for their quality, the leather door cards are in great condition with no markings on the material.

The added benefit of this car is that it is a convertible, this adds an excellent atmosphere to the interior with a whole new feel unlocked when you fold down the hood. This canvas hood unfolds easily from its storage space and is quickly fastened into place when erected the interior feels sportier and more purposeful something that is backed up with the Sierra engine under the bonnet.

As soon as you step into the interior you are instantly transported back to a time when motoring was in its infancy and extremely exciting. As you look through the windscreen and along with the vast bonnet you know that you are in control of a special car, one that will make you feel amazing when you get in.

The exterior of the Royale Sabre is such a striking design that harks back to the art deco period of car design. John Barlow made this car look like a Delahaye, a collection of enclosed wheels, extremely sculpted wheel arches, and running boards to match. The exterior condition of this Sabre is in great condition, with all these elements working well together.

When you first look at the car you are instantly struck by the interesting paint job. It is well and truly striking, a combination that many wouldn’t be brave enough to paint their car, but it works well when set against the wire wheels and chrome headlights. At the time of the build, the first owner made sure to complete the paint job to the best of their abilities, so they painted it with a 2-pack polyurethane acyclic paint with flexible additions to help reduce paint crazing. It’s probably this hindsight to paint the car with the best available that helps it look this good today.

Along with the striking paintwork, there is also the inclusion of the black mohair hood, the overall condition is good with a slight tear behind the driver’s door. This roof is quick and easy to assemble should you get caught short in the ever-predictable British weather.

The rest of the exterior elements like the wire wheels, chrome surrounded headlights, and even the catches on the engine bay are all in great condition too. With a car that looks this striking and in such good condition, it should be a no-brainer to add it to your collection.

With this Sabre being a kit based on Ford running gear you know that the mechanical aspects will get you where you need to be and should anything go wrong sourcing parts should be an easy exercise. With the recent re-coring work to the radiator, any thoughts of their being issues with overheating should now be banished to the back of your mind.

Within the 3 folders of paperwork, there are many invoices for mechanical works that have been completed on this car. Quite a few of them are dated between 1998-99 which is the time that the car was being built. The build was completed by a trained engineer and owned by them until 2019, so you can imagine that during this time it has been subject to some amazing mechanical maintenance.

The 2.0l fuel-injected Ford engine runs well; with a turn of the key, she fires straight into life and is ready to go. Simply slip her into first gear using the Ford sourced 5-speed gearbox and away you go. Once you’re out and about you cannot help but smile, this car is a real joy to control and wherever you wish to go, it will take you there with no complaints.

This could be the best of both worlds, amazing styling twinned with Ford running gear it will be a perfect car for the upcoming summer road trip season

It is rare to see such a unique car come up for sale, with its striking paintwork and comfortable interior this could be one of the best kit cars on the market. Using Ford running gear means this car is easy to live with on a day-to-day basis meaning it won’t be a headache should you want to go on a big drive to explore the roads that surround your area. 

With the beautiful lines of the exterior, you can get a feeling of what driving a Delahaye would be like without the worry of the price tag. If you like unique and quirky cars then this is a perfect candidate to add to your collection, do not miss this opportunity.