The Stimson Safari Six is a Mini-based six-wheeled pickup motor vehicle designed by Barry Stimson. It was introduced into the UK market in 1972, when it was offered for sale by Design Developments at £800 (equivalent to £13,300 in 2023[a]). That price included a hood covering the entire vehicle from the rear to the windscreen, with a zip-up sidescreen that served as the driver's door. The car was also available in kit form from £270, depending on its level of completion.[1]
| Stimson Safari Six | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 1972–73 |
| Designer | Barry Stimson |
| Body and chassis | |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel drive |
The Safari Six was in production for about a year before Design Developments went into receivership in 1974, having by then produced about 20 cars.[2]
Construction
editThe vehicle's glassfibre body is mounted on a steel tubular-frame chassis. It has a fold-down rear bench seat and a lockable underfloor boot.[3]
Engine and transmission
editThe front-wheel drive Safari Six is powered by an 848 cc (51.7 cu in) Austin Mini engine and gearbox mounted on a Mini sub frame.[1]
Later developments
editThe rights to the Safari Six were acquired by Automotive Services, who planned to convert the vehicle to use a Ford Fiesta or Peugeot engine and relaunch it as the Shikara, but that never materialised.[2]
References
editNotes
edit- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", MeasuringWorth, retrieved 7 May 2024
Citations
edit- ^ a b Booij (2009), p. 108
- ^ a b Booij (2009), p. 109
- ^ Booij (2009), pp. 108–109
Bibliography
edit- Booij, Jeroen (2009), Maximum Mini: The Definitive Book of Cars Based on the Original Mini (ebook ed.), Veloce Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84584-154-6