AutoCult Lightburn Zeta Sports Roadster (1964) (Australia)

About the Original:

The small Australian

In 1958, the Australian, Harold Lightburn met on the British Earls Court Show the designer Gordon Bedson and offered him the possibility to realize his plans of a small two-seater, which were faltering at Frisky Cars Ltd, a British manufacturer of small cars. Harold Lightburn was dreaming to offer the Australian population a sporty and small vehicle which should be parked in nearly every garage as a second car.

Gordon Bedson was starting the project with great zest, at Lightburn Vehicles Ltd., and took 50 engines with him during his move from England to Australia. The Fichtel & Sachs two-cylinder two-stroke engines, sized at 493 cm³, which were originally provided for the Messerschmitt TG 500, commonly known as Tiger, were stored now in Australia. According to Harold Lightburn schedule, the small sports car should be ready for series production in twelve months. The total development progress took much longer as initially expected and finally in 1961 the first models were completely assembled. The Zeta Sports was very simple constructed and weighted only just 400 kg. The driver with the front passenger was sitting proportionally near the front in the fiberglass car body, whereby the German engine could be installed at the height of the rear axle. The access to the engine was made via a small tailgate. A windscreen protected the passengers against airstream and only an attachable cloth tarp was offering protection and covering the scarce interior. However, 50 Fichtel & Sachs two-stroke engines, which existed at the beginning, found another use in the meantime, so that only 28 engines were available and therefore only 28 Zeta sports cars were put on its 10-inch wheels.

First of all, it could be a major setback as obviously engines from another manufacturer could not be installed. However, it soon turned out that the Zeta-Sport was produced without regard for market demand. That means that even the small number of 28 vehicles could not be sold. They were stockpiled and as late as 1963 they found their buyers according to a sell-off.