Every once in a while, a car surfaces from the vast internet that truly deserves the title of “obscure.” It happened previously with a beautiful Gordon Keeble, and now Rare Rides is proud to present another very obscure British two-door.
It’s a Midas Gold, obviously.
Though the Midas entered production as a kit car in 1978, its roots lie further back in history with the Marcos brand (which Rare Rides covered previously). Marcos started building its Mini Marcos kit cars in 1965. The cash-strapped company was still building the same car in 1975, and needed assistance. Enter fiberglass company D&H Fiberglass Techniques. Marcos inked a deal with D&H to rework and manufacture a new version of the Mini Marcos.
By 1978 a revised coupe was ready, entering showrooms as the Midas. Like the Marcos, the Midas utilized a fiberglass body and Mini underpinnings. The first-generation model saw a host of updates for 1981 after slightly famous racing person Gordon Murray made some suggestions to D&H.
The company improved its Midas again in 1985. A visual rework added frogeye lamps, larger windows, and better aerodynamics thanks to additional input from Gordon Murray. The Midas now wore bodywork and parts based on the MG Metro. D&H then expanded the Midas range to include fully-finished vehicles after subjecting the Midas to Euro-standard crash testing. By the end of the Eighties, a convertible Midas joined the coupe in the lineup. Things at D&H were getting hot.
Literally.
The factory in Northamptonshire burned down in March 1989. Production ground to a halt. Midas brand ownership changed hands in 1990, 1991, 2001, and 2003. The brand is presently owned by Alternative Cars Limited, which builds the traditional Gold convertible, as well as new models developed in the Nineties: Excelsior and Cortez. The Gold coupe’s moldings was sold off separately to the government of Berlin, Germany in 1990, and coupes were not produced after that time.
Today’s 1998 Midas Gold was built during the ownership of a Nottinghamshire company called GTM Cars. Their ownership saw additional development of the Gold, with a Hydragas suspension and optional hardtop added to the convertible. Offering a 998cc engine and manual transmission, the Gold also has a heater. This one is for sale right now in England, and asks $5,000.
[Images: seller]
This car looks like a Pokemon in the first picture.
Absolutely never heard of these, but my kit car knowledge is pretty lacking. Looking at pictures the 80’s Bronze coupes aren’t actually take terrible looking, they have their charm, but everything since then and especially the convertibles look absolutely horrendous, both from a styling and quality perspective. They managed to make the original Mini Marcos design even worse
I’ve heard of some pretty obscure stuff (I knew about Gordon Keebles, and the Mini Marcos), but not this. The styling is unfortunate (I’m being kind), like a mashup of the Kia/Lotus Elan, the Aussie-built Capri, and the Chevy SSR.
I’m trying to place the taillights – Range Rover?
I think they’re off a Rover Maestro or similar. There are too many segments to be an RR.
Metro
https://mathewsons.co.uk/images/directory/p3/f10119/gallery7/DSCF2505.JPG
Nope. Vauxhall something which was Opel Ascona C’s UK version. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Opel_Ascona_C_rear_20071022.jpg
I was thinking something like a Chevy SSR and a Autozam AZ-1 had an ugly baby, but not nearly as ugly as that Breman Sebring I found.
On the other hand, this would work as a tow dinghy for the Lincoln Continental from the other day.
But does it have the Midas Touch?
What a butt-ugly little car this is
I always appreciate this series of articles. Thanks for writing them!
With pleasure!
I want to hate it, but its so odd-ball is kind of cute? Is that possible? I love the idea of kit cars like this. A unique body on an otherwise normal, easy to service, cheap to source chassis.
That car looks like it needs an Epipen.
It’s so ugly and fugly that it is kind of cute. It has its own appeal. It somewhat reminds me of the Japanese kei car.
This is a vehicle which truly deserves to be burned.
Midas Gold?
Cue muffled applause.
“The factory in Northamptonshire burned down in March 1989. Production ground to a halt.”
Paging Captain Obvious! ;-)
Sometimes manufacturers produce cars in more than one place, or can come up with a quick alternate location.
“The Gold coupe’s moldings was sold off separately to the government of Berlin, Germany in 1990, and coupes were not produced after that time.”
This sentence seems rather unclear. What was sold to Berlin? Next question … why?