• Beautiful example of rare kit car survivor

 • Exported to Italy in early 2000s

 • Right-hand-drive

 • Immaculately presented

There are kit cars… and there are kit cars. The Falcon was one of the foremost kit cars in the UK between 1956 and 1964, when the company sold off-the-shelf sports car bodies from a factory in Waltham Abbey, Essex. 

The company was a spin-off of Ashley, a laminate body manufacturer for Austin Seven-based specials, and was founded by former Ashely partner Peter Pellandine, who took with him the rights and tooling to manufacture the short-wheelbase bodyshell for the Ashley 750. The sports car then morphed into something lower, longer and leaner, which became the Mark II, by now using the Ford 1,172cc side-valve engine, as found in the Anglia 100E. 

This one is very cool. It began life in the UK and has a British competition history up to 1978, when it was turned into a road car. It was bought by an Italian collector in the early 2000s and shipped to Rome, where it currently resides, sympathetically restored to retain much of its originality. 

 • Restored in the 2000s

 • In Italy for almost 20 years

 • UK competition history to 1978

 • Full Italian paperwork

This is a very early Mk II, dating from 1958 which is when the second-generation Falcon first appeared. It was built originally as a race car on an Austin chassis and with the Ford side-valve engine, but in 1978 was MOT’d and registered for road use in the UK.

It found its way to Italy in the early 2000s and was given a careful restoration, with the bodywork returned to absolutely stunning order but care taken to retain as much originality as possible.

 • Black leather seats

 • Simple dash

 • Wood-rimmed wheel

 • Period fire extinguisher

There really isn’t much to the cabin. Two bucket seats, a lovely wood-rimmed steering wheel and a very basic dash that doesn’t even include an odometer. After all, a Falcon was a special and most were used for motorsport. 

There’s also a charming period fire extinguisher between the seats and a selection of plaques and badges from events the car attended in the past. 

 • Paintwork restored

 • Knock-on wire wheels 

 • Incredible styling

One of the reasons why the Falcon is considered so rare and desirable is its wonderful styling. It may be a humble kit car with run-of-the-mill mechanical parts, but it looks like a period Ferrari or Maserati and appears equally exotic. It’s a fantastic thing to behold.

The body of the car was restored and painted a few years ago and still looks wonderful, while it sits on smart competition-spec knock-on wire wheels. 

 • Ford 4 cyl side-valve

 • Aquaplane head

 • Simple mechanics

 • Four-speed manual

The 1172cc UK-Ford engine installed into this car is equipped with an Aquaplane head – a competition cylinder head developed by a powerboat manufacturer and fed by twin SU carburettors. It makes it a lot more lively than a standard Ford side-valve and is a sought-after conversion. 

The vendor reports that the car is in great mechanical order and drives well, with lively performance thanks to its minimal weight. 

This is a truly beguiling example of a car that looks a lot more exotic than it is, and as a result is the type of special that is genuinely collectible – not to be confused with a more common kit car. 

This was the real deal – properly engineered and originally cherished by those who wanted to go racing as much as those who wanted to tart-up a tired old Austin Seven or Ford Popular. 

It’s a stunner to look at and a pleasure to drive.