A short but sweet CLASSIC KITCARS & SPECIALS this week. STEVE HOLE tells its story…
We look at a mid-eighties rarity from Scotland, which makes it even rarer.
The Tigress was brainchild of Raymond Craig, an ex-RAF engineer, who in 1983, ran Autocult, a custom paint workshop in Dunbar, East Lothian.
He’d been bitten by the kitcar bug after building a Dutton Phæton.
A large 2+2 with unusual forward-hinging, scissor-type doors fitted with VW Beetle windows along with that car’s running gear including 1300cc engine.
Raymond, re-engineered the car to accept a Ford Pinto 2-litre but still mated to the VW gearbox via a conversion plate. He also said that Rover V8s could also be fitted.
Unsurprisngly, the Tigress used a VW Beetle floorpan although Craig planned a bespoke chassis. He also planned to launch a Cobra replica, although this didn’t materialise by the time that Raymond concentrated once more on his spray guns again in 1985.
Just two Tigresses were built.