1967 Other Makes LYRAD

GT MK.1 Coupe

6 - Cyl.

Manual

C 8610FF

Clear

Gasoline

One-off custom-built sports car from 1967. The automobile was built by Darryl Townsend who, at the time, lived in Hampstead, Canada, and the car still bears Canadian plates (from 1970). The car is titled as a 1967 and has an Illinois title with Darryl and his wife Donna as co-owners. In 1976 he was living in South Barrington, Illinois, and my dad bought it around this time from someone other than Mr. Townsend (I haven't been able to locate Mr. Townsend or anyone associated with the building of the car). After we got the engine running, we drove it around a little and then put it in barn, where has sat for over 30 years. Now that my dad and mom have passed, my brothers and I have decided to sell it. The vehicle has a very unique design, borrowing from the Lotus Europa and other British cars of the time. A lot of thought and design went into the hand-made fiberglass body. The car has roll-up windows in both doors and a Plexiglass rear window. There are two bucket seats and the area behind the seats is carpeted. The engine, trans and rear end are Jaguar XK. The primers and paints at the time were not very good for applications on fiberglass surfaces, so the paint is pealing away in many areas. We cleaned the car up as best we could; the engine turns over and wheels are free. Interior bucket seats are in excellent condition. As I said, it needs paint, otherwise it's in very good condition. The underside of the car, including suspension, has surface rust but no rusted-out areas. You will never see another one. Car can be seen in Leland, IL (southwest of Chicago). Please email with any questions. On Oct-31-11 at 13:47:24 PDT, seller added the following information:A helpful Ebay member added the following: The seats are from a series one XKE. However the rear axle, suspension with lever shocks are early Sunbeam Alpine series one - even the battery box forward of the right side of the axle is Alpine. The cowl (including inside the engine compartment - the aluminum panel covers Alpine hood latch indentation), windshield, doors, and windows are series one Alpine. The doors are 1960 as a chrome window guide channel was added in '61. The upper and lower front suspension control arms 'appear' to be '60/'61 Alpine, but located on new front framework with coil over shocks. I suspect this GT is based an extensively modified '60/'61 Sunbeam Alpine.On Nov-02-11 at 19:05:56 PDT, seller added the following information: Yesterday ,I had the opportunity to talk to the builder of the Lyrad, Mr. Townsend himself. He was a little surprised and happy to hear the Lyrad was still around. Although he's 80 years old he remembers many things about the Lyrad. The sharp E-Bay person was right on the money when he said that an early Alpine Sunbeam was the chassis and start of the Lyrad. It was lengthen to accommodate the Jaguar engine. The front nose was modeled from a Lotus race car. Originally the hood scoop on the hood faced the opposite direction, but it worked too well and the engine never heated up, so they reversed it. He drove it a few thousand miles around Montreal and after moving to Illinois decided to sell it. My Dad did not buy it from him, but probably from the person he sold it to. Fabrication of the rear section from the side windows back took many hours first using metal rods, then aluminum squares crisscrossing, welding them together before applying the fiberglass. He couldn't find anyone to weld aluminum, so he went to a trade school to learn to do it. He told me he would be happy to talk to the buyer after the sale.