[2] In 1965 Alan Gibbs, then an economist, had returned from England with the idea of creating a New Zealand made car.

However, he initially worked for the Government's Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on the Import Licensing schedule.

The project commenced in Autumn 1966 when Alan moved to Auckland to join with his brother Ian, owner of Anziel Limited, in the venture.

Despite this setback, the Gibbs brothers continued to lobby Marshall, who eventually relented and allowed them a licence to import a prototype from Reliant.

As the Anziel Nova, the two-door car was to be powered by a 1498cc pre-crossflow Ford Kent engine with a 4-speed gearbox.

In the publicity documents the company said that it was going to produce a four-door version, as well as planning to make a station wagon, commercial van, and a light truck.

[10] Its advantage over these models was that its higher local content meant a reduced need for overseas funds.

The project was finally doomed in March 1970, due to the changes made by the government on import rules for cheaper, fully built cars.