After three years of discussions [read 'pestering' 馃槈 ] with the previous owner and visits to his house, I am now the proud owner of one of the 13 remaining Ascorts from the 19 made. They are built on a VW Pan with styling taken from the Karmann Ghia and other cars from the period, powered by a 40hp VW Okrasa engine (which also came with the purchase 馃槑).
I remember back to my teenage years seeing a photo of one of these that Dad had in his extensive photo collection and thinking 'What an amazing car'! Though this a different car from the one in the photo, Dad actually knew the previous owner of this car from 30-odd years ago (and he has owned the car since 1975, with it being 'restored' for over 22 years whilst the full rego was being paid)!
She has some work to do but as above comes complete with the Okrasa, though it needs a rebuild!
I have had many cars over the journey, including pre-73 Porsches, but I believe this to be the nicest looking car I have owned.
If will be a long term proposition, so don't expect rapid updates on the Forum, but wanted to share the car with you all 馃槑馃槑
Parts are to be sourced from the many marques that were utilsed in the orginal build of these cars as the website informs the reader, and I am looking forward to the challenge!
Cheers
Craig
crsedge 路
more..
LUFTMEISTER 路
My favourite AUSSIE VW. great purchase. My dream car. Thanks for sharing.
barls 路
nice work mate, look forward to seeing this one restored
Bizarre 路
LOVE IT!
Had a chance years ago to buy one - but had to pass as I didnt have a garage
68AutoBug 路
Thanks for the pics..
and for a 1957 car they really did look great...
and like the Karmann Ghia still look the goods..
I hope You can get all the parts to restore it..
Lee
68AutoBug 路
Just had a look at the website...
excellent info there.. and photos etc...
rear window glass would be very hard to find.. austin A35?
also Lucas tail lamps as fitted to Vanguards and Aston Martins
even the ford zephyr bonnet and engine lid hinges would now be difficult..
Lucas front blinkers may be easier to find??
outside door handles a piece of cake as they are still available new as they were used on the Hindustan Taxis in India..
the old Morris Oxford...
ASCORTS Were VERY Expensive though.. more than double the price of a beetle and nearly as expensive as a Porsche 356..
making a hand built car is expensive... even then...
One man's dream...
LEE
VWMA Editor 路
A look at the history of Ascorts and a feature on Jeff Sable's car in the latest issue of VWMA. Interestingly, it wasn't the building of the Ascort that was the undoing of Mirek Craney, but rather the testing, compliance and post-production costs that became too expensive.
LUFTMEISTER 路
Red tape kills a lot of dreams. 馃ゲ
crsedge 路
68AutoBug wrote:I hope You can get all the parts to restore it..
Lee
Hi Lee,
It is only missing the Petri Steering Wheel, but we all know how expensive they are! There are repros available but am in no rush so will wait and see whether an original surfaces at a good price. Has all the screens, dash instruments, tail lights, catches, etc. Will need new rubbers which I have been informed are available.
Will now be putting my original steel 5 bolt Empi Sprintstars to use that I was in the process of selling!
Cheers
Craig
karmannghia60 路
Congrats Craig, worth the wait
Can't wait to see it in the flesh
Raf
VWMA Editor 路
This is Jeff Sabel's Ascort if you are looking for extra motivation...
LUFTMEISTER 路
Anyone know where this one ended up?
crsedge 路
LUFTMEISTER wrote:Anyone know where this one ended up?
I believe it stayed in the family in the end after being on Gumtree for a short time.
crsedge 路
VWMA Editor wrote:This is Jeff Sabel's Ascort if you are looking for extra motivation...
Thanks Craig.
I have the issue at home and have been looking at it nearly daily 馃槑馃槑
Cheers
Craig
PASHN8 路
Very nice Craig!
t1 time 路
Modern motor January 1959
t1 time 路
story
t1 time 路
story
crsedge 路
Thanks t1 time for posting the Modern Motor article; this was included when I bought the car with many other car magazines that featured the Ascort in articles back in the day.
It is quite amazing how many magazines covered the Ascort, even a US car magazine that quoted the price in $US when it would be imported there. It is a shame it didn't work out for Mirek as who knows how big they could have become??
Cheers
Craig
crsedge 路
First purchase for the car, found an original Petri wheel ,which was standard on the Ascort, on International eBay at a great price (given the rarity)! 馃シ
The Porsche horn button did not come with it; next search is the plain ivory Petri button!
BrisDubba 路
I know a bloke in Warwick with one - unless of course you bought yours from Warwick.. He has had it for over 20 years.
crsedge 路
BrisDubba wrote:I know a bloke in Warwick with one - unless of course you bought yours from Warwick.. He has had it for over 20 years.
Nope, bought mine from Melbourne.
I take it the one in Warwick is noted on the Ascort TSV website referred to earlier in this thread?
h 路
great score and greater story..
thanks for sharing
look fwd to the many updates to come 馃憤
Ascort 路
Hi Craig
Great to see the interest in your Ascort. Also great that you have found a Petri wheel.
One small correction is that your Ascort would have been built 1959 or 1960 (not 1957). The prototype was built in 1958, with the first road test published at the end of 1958.
My Warwick based car mentioned by BrisDubba was one of the first built and it was built in 1959. I now also own a second Ascort, but at this stage I do not have a build date, but I suspect that it was one of the last cars built. (It's pan has a 1958 number).
I am glad to see that people here have been checking out my web site and are finding it useful. I am now feeling guilty that I have not completed some sections.
Your front letters and rear emblem are now cut, I have a front emblem casting for you and your 1:43 has the colour coat done, but it still needs the detailing to be done.馃樀: you have lots of filing, sanding and polishing to do. 馃樀
Ascort 路
A few photos of my Ascorts.
My first Ascort, which is finally being worked on after being stored for many years.
The dash of this car was missing. This is the new dash, with a trial fit of the instruments. The steering lock is not correct in this photo, but I do now have the correct item.
The car sitting on drums is my car in 1959/60 while it was being repaired in the Ascort factory, after it was crashed by the designer, Mirek Craney.
My #005 car seen through the windscreen of my blue car.
My blue car
XXX-1.8T 路
You also have a imola yellow Audi TT?
Ascort 路
Yes, the TT is another VW based play toy.
crsedge 路
Hi Mark,
Welcome aboard! Great news about the progress on the reproduction badges/letters, looking forward to the package (with the model as well)! Thought I would check whether the Warwick one mentioned by Brisdubba may have been an unknown, but it appears it is yours! 馃槑
I realised after I placed the post that the year 1957 for my car was incorrect; I went with the year from some of the information provided with the car from the PO.
Cheers
Craig
Ascort 路
This is the model project to date.
crsedge 路
Looks great, looking forward to seeing the detailed finish 馃槑
empi 路
Now on the hunt for an Ascort Sonic!!!! OMG!
Ascort 路
On the subject of Sonics, I received this scan a week or two back and it shows the Ascorts being built in the factory.
Sonics can also be seen being built in the foreground, and there is a complete sonic on a trailer on the rear right.
It would be fantastic to find a sonic, but I have no idea how many were produced. By this photo there seems to have been at least 4 (I am sure that there is a sonic nose just visible on the right.).
I did hear that there was supposed to have been one in country central NSW area in the 1980s, and was owned by the owner of the red Ascort that was featured in Great Australian Sportscars publication of that era. I have not been able to find out what happened to the sonic to date.
I was given a copy of a home movie by the Craney family, which shows lots of interesting stuff including the Ascort factory producing silos etc, some car footage, and the sonic being put through its paces at Rose Bay in 1961. It was quite a performer.
crsedge 路
Would be a cool addition- attending a VW Show with an Ascort towing a Sonic! 馃槑
empi 路
Yeah in the lake at the Jamboree 2014....
Now my new mission to find one
dont hold ya breath peeps!!
jiminy_cricket 路
The Ascort looks like a real interesting fixer-upper. Shame it couldn't hold its place post production - they have a great shape. What engine configuration powered them?
LUFTMEISTER wrote:Anyone know where this one ended up?
Yeah its at APVWC in Bayswater
vw54 路
Great pics inside the Ascort Factory at Tempe Sydney never seen those pics before
I have a pic of the sign still on the outside of the building
Ascort 路
vw54 wrote:Great pics inside the Ascort Factory at Tempe Sydney never seen those pics before
I have a pic of the sign still on the outside of the building
I think that I have a copy of this. Brick wall with fading white sign saying "Ascort Corporation" (from memory).
Would it be possible to get a copy for the Ascort records as the copy that I have is quite low resolution.
A box of old photo negatives relating to Ascorts being constructed and tested and also Ascort boats recently surfaced. There were multi hundreds of photos and they are providing lots of information.
A book is now a consideration if time permits. Obviously it would not sell too many copies, but it would be good to record the history in a format where it can be shared and preserved a little more securely than the web site.