The Nova Kit Car
Nova Kit Car - Designed by Richard Oakes in 1971 and launched in 1972
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This was my Nova Kit Car as it was when I purchased it second hand in 1989. I have effectively rebuilt it twice, each time not being happy with the result so I went back and redid it to get it to where it is today.
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A Brief History Of the Nova
In 1971 the Ford GT40, Corvette and Lamborghini Miura were the dream cars of the day, and so the combination of the lines of these and other considerations were to bring about the birth of the Nova. Financed by John Willment, Richard Oakes managed to talk a friend of his into joining him, a guy by the name of Phil Sayers who had taken Richards old job at Davrian. After almost a year of designing and mock-ups, and many modifications they finally found a ship builder that would give them financial support and provide the necessary workshop facilities.
Finally, the Nova based on a Volkswagen Beetle chassis went into production from the Southampton works known as Automotive Design and Developments Ltd (ADD). This was to become the home of the company for the next few years and because Richard and Phil had got it more or less right first time, (kits were priced at £750) success came quickly. The Nova went on to be sold in many countries known under different names and model variants such as Sterling (USA), Eureka (Australia), Eagle (South Africa) and Puma (Italy).
Finally, the Nova based on a Volkswagen Beetle chassis went into production from the Southampton works known as Automotive Design and Developments Ltd (ADD). This was to become the home of the company for the next few years and because Richard and Phil had got it more or less right first time, (kits were priced at £750) success came quickly. The Nova went on to be sold in many countries known under different names and model variants such as Sterling (USA), Eureka (Australia), Eagle (South Africa) and Puma (Italy).
Richard Oakes penning one of his designs
The Nova's design inspiration was largely from these three classics of the period, which like the Nova these cars are still sought after today
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Corvette C3
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Lamborghini Miura
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Ford GT40
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My Nova Kit Car
My Nova kit car is still in the UK and whilst drivable with a valid MOT certificate, it's still unfinished and remains a work in progress (the reality is Nova's are never finished, just awaiting the next modification!). The main jobs left to finish it are detailed below. I am working through these each time I visit the UK :
- Finish the wiring up of the alarm system
- Finish the air conditioning / heater plumbing, wiring and air ducting
- Remake the centre console
- Trim the interior (seats, dash, carpets etc..)
Nova Resources
The best place to go for anything Nova related is the Euro-Nova Website and Euro-Nova Forum
