Source: Invicta

The best-kept motoring secret of 2002 was revealed when the all-new, British-built, 180 mph sportscar made its world debut at the International Motor Show in Birmingham.

Created in total secrecy during the last two years by The Invicta Car Company Limited, the sensational Invicta S1 two-seater GT sports coupe bears the name of the once famous and highly regarded British marque.

Invicta Chairman Michael Bristow said: “We have worked in secrecy for 24 months because we wanted to talk to the public about what we have achieved – not what we hope 
 
to achieve. So, the new S1 revealed at the Motor Show is not a concept car, it is a full production model, ready to run and customers can place orders now – confident that the first cars will be delivered early in 2003.”

Fundamental to Invicta’s desire to deliver no-compromise performance in terms of handling balance and sheer speed, was the decision to mount the S1’s engine and gearbox well back in the chassis and the 100-litre fuel tank transversely between the rear wheels, to achieve close to the ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution.

Fitted with Invicta’s own air-intake and exhaust systems, the 4.6-litre engine powering the S1 is supplied by Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) in America. The all-aluminium, 32-valve V8 weighs just 240 kilos and produces 320 bhp and 300 lb ft of torque. Light, smooth-revving and ultra-reliable, this engine promises to deliver stunning acceleration in the 1100 kg S1 – which is more than 300 kg lighter than the Ford Mustang Cobra which uses the same engine in the USA. Each engine is hand-built at Ford’s SVT facility and carries a plaque signed by the two technicians responsible for its assembly.

The S1 is designed to be two cars in one; a luxurious Grand Tourer and a no-compromise sportscar with the potential to become a class-winning GT racing car. Able to deliver exhilarating performance, the S1 is also tractable for every-day driving, with a spacious, leather-trimmed cabin, a large boot and a 100-litre fuel tank giving owners the ability to cover long distances, comfortably at speed.

The Invicta S1 is the world’s first car to feature a one-piece carbon-fibre bodyshell bonded to the steel tube spaceframe chassis to create an immensely strong, but lightweight, structure. Hand-built by a small team of highly-skilled technicians, the S1 will be produced in strictly limited numbers at Invicta’s Wiltshire facility. Orders will be taken at the Motor Show with deliveries scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2003. “While the S1 is a thoroughly modern car, it fully embodies the standards, quality and spirit behind the race-winning 1930s Invicta cars,” said Michael Bristow. “We are confident that it will provide today’s motoring enthusiasts with an exceptionally rewarding driving and ownership experience, matching the marque’s original promise to deliver ‘the most wonderful performance in the world’.”