Buckler Cars was founded by Derek Buckler and based in Reading. The company produced around 400 cars between 1947 and 1962, primarily for racing.
Bucklers were unusual in featuring a spaceframe construction. They were supplied either fully built to order with a works body or in component form for home completion. They were designed to accept a range of engines and transmissions to enable buyers to create a lightweight sports car for road use and in rallies, trials, speed hillclimbs or racing. The first model, based on Derek Buckler’s own very successful 1947 Buckler Special, was called the Mark V. Buckler allegedly did not want people to think it was the first car.
After considerable success in the early and mid-1950s, the cars’ popularity waned as other manufacturers started to make similar cars, and as the kit-car market declined in the early 1960s.
Buckler sold his company as a going concern in 1962 due to ill health, and died in 1964.
The Mark V in our Slider picture is powered by an 1172cc Ford engine. Top speed at the time was 80 mph – but this serious-looking supercharged competition version is highly likely to be a lot faster.
Photo courtesy of Peter McFadyen. See his website: http://petermcfadyen.co.uk
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