Ashley (automobile)

The company also made bonnets and hardtops for other mass-produced sports cars, including the Austin-Healey Sprite and Jaguar E-Type.

The two set up a small factory in a garage next to the Robin Hood Inn at Loughton, Essex to produce shells.

In 1958, to increase manufacturing space, Ashley Laminates moved to the Potteries in Upshire, whilst retaining the Loughton premises as a showroom.

[1] In 1961 the company moved again, this time to Bush Fair, Harlow, but the following year production of body shells ceased when the specials market waned, due to a change in Sales Tax rules.

Adverts from 1963 onwards indicate that the company changed names to Ashley Auto Improvements and moved, this time to Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire.

The Ashley range of bodyparts has been re introduced in 2010 by Moto-Build Racing in Sutton in Surrey and whilst at present it focuses mainly on the MG Midget and Austin Healey Sprite there are moulds in progress for the Triumph Spitfire Mk1, 2 and 3, there is a website dedicated to this at www.ashleygt.co.uk Based on the short-wheelbase (6-foot 3 inch) Austin Seven chassis, with its 747 cc engine (hence the model name).

Introduced shortly after the 750 for £90, it was made to accommodate wheelbases from 6-foot-11-inch (2.11 m) to 7-foot-3-inch (2.21 m) As the name suggests the shell was primarily designed for track rather than everyday road use and could be mated to an Elva chassis.