Paul Banham began developing specialist convertibles and sports cars in the late Seventies, taking on bespoke commissions for individual customers around the world.
Early projects included cabriolet and convertible versions of the Ferrari 400, the Aston Martin DBS and V8, and the Rolls-Royce Corniche, but one car would prove to be something of a recurring theme in a wide variety of conversions: the Jaguar XJS. By the mid-1990s, Banham were involved in the small-scale production of the fully rebodied XJSS, which later became available in kit form. The late 1990s saw Banham offer an ever-expanding range of sports cars based on a variety of Rover Group models.
Banham appears to have ceased trading in 2004, although we have yet to find out the full details...
To find out more, contact Kit Car magazine.
Mini-based models
Banham produced two Mini-based models: the Roadster and the Sprint. The former is a cool but fairly straightfoward attempt at turning the Mini into a speedster, while the latter (pictured here) perfectly encapsulates the style of the Austin-Healey 'Frogeye' Sprite. |
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Metro-based models
Banham's Metro/Rover 100-based conversions numbered four. The X21 and the Bat both have Audi TT overtones, while the Speedster (pictured here) evokes memories of the classic Porsche 356. The set is completed by the Super Bug, Banham's modern-day interpretation of the Mini Moke. |
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The Banham 200
Hang on, that's a Ford RS200, isn't it? Think again... |
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Jaguar-based models
This is where it all started for Banham Conversions. For the first twenty years or so, their business was mainly based around the production of variations on the classic XJS theme, although they also found time to produce an XJ6 cabriolet. |
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