Description
The English Sportscar company you've never heard of..... Piper? We offer no apology here, the history and back-story of Piper Cars is an important one, our website offers a brief history for all those who are new to Piper, it's an incredible story........ the story of the car offered, chassis XXX81C is equally incredible too and again our website offers at least 50 images plus a full walk-around video too.... We'd be delighted to chat further.
Piper P2 - Chassis XXX81C
Absolute Classic Cars are delighted to offer this truly spectacular car, quite possibly the lowest mileage Piper P2 known. Finished in Viper Green and with just 232 miles from new Piper P2, chassis XXX81C comes with a truly incredible history. Originally built for a Mr Paul Evans, Edinburgh, Scotland in March 1973 at the price of £1531. 30, making this one of the last Wokingham built cars, chassis XXX81C , the 'C' denoting a car built-up completely at the factory was delivered by Piper to Mr Evans with the following specification:
- Piper P2 (Phase two) - Body from machine sprayed fibreglass mounted on a full length square tube chassis
- Paint - Cellulose applied in Viper Green
- 4 speed 'Mexico' gearbox
- Rack & Pinion steering
- 9" diameter front discs, 9. 5" diameter rear brake drums
- Front suspension by double wishbones, coils and adjustable dampers
- Ford Capri 3000 rear axle mounted through lower wishbones and upper parallel arms, coils and adjustable dampers
- Interior, two fully trimmed sculpted seats, door panels and carpets
- Full instrumentation
- Sunshine roof, tilt or removable
- Front tinted and laminated glass windscreen
- Side and Rear windows - Oroglas Acrylic
- Heater
- 6" Piper Wheels
- Kenlowe cooling fan
- Twin feed aluminium petrol tank with Monza Caps
- Adjustable Pedal box
- Hydraulically operated 7" Pop-up headlights
Reading the impressive specification the eagled-eyed will have spotted the sole omission from the above specification, the engine, and while Piper offered an impressive standard power unit, utilising the 1600cc Ford Mexico Cross-flow, fitted with a Piper cylinder head / Camshaft and fabricated manifold, Mr Evans opted to fit his own engine, a new 'crated' Ford BDA and here the history of chassis XXX81C took a very interesting twist.
Leaping forward a remarkable 33 years to 2016 and having passed away Mr Evan's family offered the currently unregistered Piper P2 for sale, incredibly the BDA engine had never been fitted and the car, chassis XXX81C, had travelled ZERO miles, the history file offering some 35mm camera images of the car in storage. The new owner we understand sold the BDA and fitted a Ford Cross-flow and after registering the car with the DVLA, supported with correspondence from the Piper Sports Car Club, so the correct 'Historic Status' applied, age related plate issued and having now drive the car a small number of miles, 17 miles for correctness, offered the car for sale in 2017.
During the next six years the car changed hands once more and in 2023 came into the custodianship of it's current owner, a local gent who we've previously helped with his eclectic mix of rare, unusual, predominately low slung sports cars...... most with pop-up lights too as he now regretfully needs to sell the car as life takes a different direction.
Understanding the history & ownership of this Piper P2, extricated from 33 years of storage, it's pleasing to note that the car remains in highly original condition. Unlike gel coat coloured fibreglass the production of Piper Cars saw the bodies being painted in cellulose and having been stored, albeit it in not ideal conditions, and still untouched / original from 1973 we'd have to say the car shows some patina, she's not perfect, but as the owner of Piper Cars / Emmbrook Engineering, Bill Atkinson commented on seeing the car for the first time in 50 year she is 'very nice indeed'. Offering our myriad of photos and walk round video, including underbody and arches, she remains very clean, the chassis is still painted in it's original silver, the wheels look fabulous, shod with new tyres at recommission, the underbody components remain good, the dilemma of works v originality is one to mull over.
Open the door and sliding (not stepping) into the interior, our closest comparison is to imagine stepping into the cockpit of a Lockhead SR71 Blackbird, in fact the key fob pictures a Jet Fighter with the tagline. "Remove before Flight!" The interior is just fabulous, the sculpted seats, with 4 point harnesses mark the Piper P2's racing intent, full instrumentation, switchgear adding to this and with odometer confirming just 232 miles, the interior it has to be said is in superb condition.
With just 232 miles recorded and respectful of our client, for whom we offer the car on a private sale basis, we've resisted putting unnecessary mileage on the car. Once settled into the driving seat, ignition on, "fuel pump' switch on, pump ticking, and a prod of the throttle and the 1600 Cross Flow bursts into life. With a full build sheet offered the Stage 3 specification of the engine (built 2023/ 24) harks at serious intent, the twin 40's certainly offer a 'bark' when the throttle is blipped. We've not pushed the motor as our independent engineer is yet to 'health check' the car, service it and set the engine up using his rolling road, however having run her up to temperature and then taken her on our preferred test route and we're happy to say that she drives well, with super direct steering, positive brakes, with a riffle sharp gear-change.
"There’s something stirring in a Lincs village – at 120 mph"; so ran the story line to an article in the Lincolnshire Echo dated 1973 about Piper Cars / Emmbrook Engineering of South Willingham. Move forward 51 years and again there's something stirring in a Lincs Village and it's about Piper Cars again ..... arguably the lowest mileage most incredible example of a marque we've ever had the pleasure to offer. This unrepeatable 232 mile Piper P2 simply shouts..... as a Viper Green car would, of it's place at historic motoring events be it Goodwood Revival, Silverstone Classic, Hampton Court Classic, Race Retro & Bicester Heritage Scramble or possibly further afield, Pebble Beach anyone? An amazing classic, with a dedicated and passionate following, the future owner of this Piper P2 will surely own a special car indeed!
