Campbell Bolwell started building specials in the early 1960's. The Mk4 was the first to be sold as a kit and was followed by the Mk5, a one-off mid-engined Mk6, and the Mk7 in 1966. The Mk7 really put Bolwell on the map with around 400 body/chassis kits sold over six years of production. Based on a folded steel backbone chassis that was strongly reminiscent of the Lotus Elan, it used common Holden (GM) mechanicals. The body was a very attractive fastback coupe. In 1969 the Mk7 was joined by it's new sibling, the Nagari, probably the most fondly remembered of all Australian specialist cars. With a shape refined from the Mk7 and a 5 litre Ford V8 it was an instant classic. Only briefly sold as a kit, most were factory assembled to ensure quality. Production of all Bolwell cars ceased in 1972 as increasingly tough design and construction regulations made them uneconomical to produce. Bolwell continued in the fibreglass business, something they still do today. See the Bolwell Car Club site for more information on Bolwells in general.
In 1980 Bolwell sudenly reappeared in the specialist automotibe market
with something completely different. Gone were the flowing lines
of the Nagari and it's fire-breathing V8. The Ikara looked like a
surrealist's beach buggy!
Once you got past the initial shock, the mechanics of the car were very
well thought out. A substantial spaceframe chassis, with integral
roll bar, carried double wishbone front suspension from the Holden Gemini
(the local version of GM's T-car - Chevette, Cavalier etc in other parts
of the world). At the rear, a Volkswagen Golf drivetrain, complete
with Macpherson strut suspension, was fitted.
Road test of the day were very complimentary of the handling and performance even if they found the styling a little "individual". However, after only 20 were made, production ended and the whole project was sold off to Greek interests.
Avaialble here are four different magazine articles that I have scanned. Each page is a seperate .JPG file.
Wheels Magazine - July 1979 - Page1(281kb)
Page2(289kb)
Wheels Magazine - May 1980 - Page1(247kb)
Page1(246kb) Page1(286kb)
Modern Motor - March 1980 - Page1(263kb)
Page2(248kb) Page3(315kb)
and a road test from Sports Car World Nov/Dec 1980 - pp6 to 13
Cover(252kb) Page6(199kb)
Page7(206kb) Page8(247kb)
Page9(217kb)
Page10(274kb) Page11(288kb)
Page12(217kb) Page13(218kb)
These files take up a lot of room (nearly 6Mb) so, if I run out of web-space, these will be one of the first things to go.
