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A warm welcome to totalkitcar online … A company that I always hear great things about is SIMTEK (UK) Ltd. I always regularly have a reader tell me how the Rochdale-based company has solved an electrical related problem and/or come up with a bespoke, tailored package for them.
Within our newly re-launched Goods & Suppliers Directory – see above in the menu bar – is a category called ‘Electronic Wizardry’ and it won’t come as a surprise to discover that Simtek (UK) is listed there. Incidentally, they are also listed under ‘Electrical Connectors’, too.
Talking to Ginny and Jay Simkins at Malvern recently, even I discovered that I really had no idea just what they can offer customers. You’ll see one of their Steering Switch Panels shown here and this is a case in point. In a nutshell it is a backing plate for a steering wheel that features function buttons on it.
The skill involved in tailoring this component to suit the application is amazing but it goes weel beyond that. The component can be produced in pretty much any shape or material and Jay and engineer Martin can place the relevant controls wherever you require them and what’s more whetever functionality you want can be included.
I recommend that you pay a visit to their website www.simtekuk.com to find out more and how they can help you. You can also call them on 01706 854 857.
I know that lots of readers used our GOODS & SUPPLIERS listing as a guide to the specialist car aftermarket, so essential did they regard it. It needed an upgrade but it took a couple of years to get it right. HAVE YOU SEEN IT YET? See the menu bar above or CLICK HERE.
GOODS & SUPPLIERS is BACK. It’s certainly less wieldy, is easier to use and well, see what you think. It’s not yet complete by any means but is a workable and useful A-Z listing that I hope you enjoy using and check back regularly because I will be adding to it daily, almost.
TKC MAG – MAY/JUNE 2026 ISSUE – AVAILABLE NOW
Here’s this issue’s menu, or at least some of it.
Welcome to the ‘Groovy Baby’ issue. Why groovy baby? Well, four of the cars starring this time are inspired by, or are replicas of, sixties classics … not big, not clever, but quite descriptive we thought.
So, what have we got to tickle your fancy this time?
INDUSTRY GREATS – ULTIMA SPORTS – The Lee Noble and Marlow family years. The full story.
MYTHRON CARS SEBRING FASTBACK – No, it’s not a replica or a continuation or a kitcar. This is what the company call ‘ a reimagining of a sixties Sebring Sprite’
TORNADO TS40 MKII TRIBUTE – A superb example of a Tornado TS40 (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad one) which is intended as a tribute to the late Dan Gurney.
ACE HAWK! – A glorious new build Hawk inspired by the AC Ace, which is the second Hawk built by Adam Cleden nearly twenty years after the first one, which was also a stunner, by the way!
WITHOUT OUR PAST SPECIAL! – This time we focus on four beatiful sports racers from the sixties.
MCLAREN M6GT – People often understandably believe that McLaren’s first road car was Professor Gordon Murray’s F1. However, a generation before that, Briuce McLaren had the idea for the GT. We tell the car’s story and also feature the replicas, the UVA M6GTR and Montage and also the Tornado TS70.
SINGLE SEAT RACECAR CONVERTED FOR ROAD USE – There have been plenty of single-seat road-legal kitcars over the years but very few racing cars have been converted for use on the road, other than the Lotus 51 ‘Flower Power’ and a Van Diemen conversion back in the eighties. The latest to tackle such a monster project is serial kitcar builder Dave Swift who found an OMS hillclimber on eBay and yep, converted it to a road car!
Hope you enjoy the issue.
TKC MAG – MAY/JUNE 2026 ISSUE – AVAILABLE NOW
IF YOU LIKE CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS you are in luck. Clicking that button will take you back in time with features on old kitcars, personalities and generally interesting companies who worked within the specialist car and sixties motorsport movements. I really hope you are enjoying them. Not all of them are kitcar-related per se but they all celebrate the underdog and often feature the wonderful world of sixties motorsport.
Classic Kit Cars & Specials is now at home at totalkitcar.com.
A lot of classic clubman motorsport features highlight underdog artisans that we hope will appeal to you dear reader, the sort of companies that we’ve often all heard of but on whom detailed information is often hard to find. Shorrock, Wade Turbochargers, Jack Knight Developments, Cannon Cars, Tom Killeen, David Ogle the list goes on and on. The sort of companies and individuals that our specialist and kitcar forebears from the sixties would have been very familiar with. You’ll find these subjects featured in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS.
LOTUS ELEVEN GULLWING GT COUPÉ
This week in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS we focus on a delightful yet mysterious Lotus Special called the Eleven GT Gullwing Coupé CLICK HERE to find out more.
DON’T WANT PAPER? TRY OUR DIGITAL EDITION
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Search YouTube for the ‘totalkitcar YouTube Channel’ or follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/@tkcmag.
Our popular TRACKDAY CALENDAR is where you can find out where, when and how much by CLICKING HERE. Now updated to cover JUNE, JULY and AUGUST 2026.
WHAT A GREAT CAR THE IMPREZA-BASED ADRENALINE MURTAYA WAS. A GREAT TRACKDAY CAR, TOO
SNIPPETS 1 …….. The British Motor Museum invites visitors to return to the golden age of hot hatches in the new exhibition: ‘Spoiler Alert: The Hot Hatch Story’, celebrating these everyday heroes of the streets. This exhibition is inspired by the energetic atmosphere of car meets and the bold visuals of era-defining car magazines, immersing visitors in the 80s and 90s hot hatch culture in a space brimming with nostalgia. Opening on 20 June, ‘Spoiler Alert’ will run until Spring 2027 in The Rubery Owen Gallery.
Iconic hatchbacks on display include a 1983 Renault 5 Alpine, 1981 VW Golf GTI, 1990 Vauxhall Astra Mk 2, 1981 Ford Escort XR3, and a 1988 Peugeot 205 GTI. Visitors will love exploring the enduring legacy of these iconic vehicles through a range of dynamic exhibits and installations.
Visitors will be able to customise their own hot hatch designs and enjoy an interactive hot hatch themed photo opportunity, as this new exhibition celebrates their lasting impact on automotive culture to this day.
The 80s and 90s marked the golden era of hot hatches, which brought a legendary combination of the lightweight practicality of an everyday family car with turbocharged engines, sharp suspension, and sportscar styling. Celebrated for their accessible performance, the hot hatchess became cultural icons and remain highly sought after by enthusiasts today.
Cat Boxall, Curator at the British Motor Museum, said: “We’re really excited to open this exhibition celebrating hot hatches! Those born in the 60s, 70s & 80s will fondly remember these ‘souped-up’ cars as their first or second cherished vehicles. Many have reached classic status and are now as highly prized as some supercars!”
To find out more information about the exhibition, please visit: www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/spoiler-alert-the-hot-hatch-story
SNIPPETS 2 …….Through its holding company, Hillcrest Technologies, Lifeline has secured the longevity of one of motorsport’s most famous safety brands.
In a move to further enhance the distribution of its motorsport products, Hillcrest Technologies, the holding company of Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems Ltd, has acquired the assets and intellectual properties of Stockbridge Racing and Willans Racing, a company long established in the field of motorsport safety harnesses.
The Willans brand has been purchased by Lifeline Fire Ltd
Through the acquisition of the Stockbridge Racing business, Lifeline will further consolidate its position as a leading global manufacturer of motorsport safety products while also gaining access to new markets across motorsport, defence, and niche vehicle sectors.
On the acquisition, managing director and owner of Lifeline, Jim Morris, commented: “I have always held the Willans brand in high regard and respect. Willans is the original motorsport safety harness manufacturer and has been trusted by many of the world’s leading drivers, teams, and manufacturers throughout its nearly 60-year history.
“By bringing the Willans brand into the group, we can build on the excellent foundations established by Simon Perkins and founder John Fenning, while continuing to develop our product range and expand into new markets in line with our growth strategy.”
Simon Perkins, managing director of Capsaflex added: “Having known Jim for almost twenty years, it feels very fitting to pass the baton to him and his team. Now I know the brand I have developed over the last nineteen years is in safe hands, I look forward to seeing it continue to grow and evolve. This transition will also allow me and my team to better focus on further developing the fuel tank business we have built during the last eleven years under a new brand, Capsaflex Limited. ”
More on Willans via www.lifeline-fire.co.uk or even www.willans.com or for Capsaflex Willans fuel tanks visit www.capsaflex.com.
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So, that’s about it from me for this week, so I’ll bid you a great seven days, with plenty of enjoyable driving and I look forward to welcoming you once again next week on Friday, June 19, 2026
Best regards
Steve