A new British coachbuilder, David Brown Automotive unveiled its unique handcrafted grand tourer, the Speedback GT, based on the epic Jaguar XKR.
This retro beauty is actually the brainchild of British businessman (and sports car fanatic) David Brown, who has managed to combine a background in engineering and manufacturing with a love for cars. And although underneath the pretty sheet metal lies a modern aluminum structure lifted out of the Jaguar XK, the engine remains unchanged (yes, it’s been rebodied to look like a classic British GT). The sports car enthusiast has selected the supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 from the XKR. In other words, it may well look like a classic Aston Martin, but it’s output is more than 500 horsepower on tap.
“The launch of Speedback is the realization of a dream for me, and is the result of skilful and dedicated work by a team of highly talented designers, engineers and craftsmen,” David Brown said in a statement. “Building the Speedback was a natural step to combine my engineering and manufacturing background with my love of cars. It encapsulates all that I hold dear to me in terms of style, quality and performance. I believe that my passion is reflected in every aspect of the car’s design and build. If you share these principles, and appreciate British engineering at its very best, then I hope that you will enjoy the Speedback as much as I have enjoyed its creation. I am proud of what our small team has achieved with the Speedback and I feel privileged to put my name to it“.
David Brown will show its Speedback in public for the first time at the 2014 Top Marques Monaco (April 17-20). And the company estimates building about 50 examples per year, but the price will be announced at a later date.
