The best-kept motoring secret of the year is revealed this week when an all-new, British-built, 170 mph sportscar makes its world debut at the International Motor Show in Birmingham.

Created in total secrecy during the last two years by The Invicta Car Company Limited, the sensational Invicta S1 two-seater GT sports coupe bears the name of the once famous and highly regarded British marque.

Scheduled to be unveiled to the press at noon on Tuesday (22 October), the S1 will be displayed in the NEC Hall 5, Stand 5321, throughout the Motor Show (25 October to 3 November) and is sure to attract big crowds. .

Invicta Chairman Michael Bristow said: “We have worked in secrecy for 24 months because we wanted to talk to the public about what we have achieved – not what we hope to achieve. So, the new S1 revealed at the Motor Show is not a concept car, it is a full production model, ready to run and customers can place orders now – confident that the first cars will be delivered early in 2003.”

The S1 is designed to be two cars in one; a luxurious Grand Tourer and a no-compromise sportscar with the potential to become a class-winning GT racing car. Able to deliver exhilarating performance (0-to-60 mph in 5.0 seconds), the S1 is also tractable for every-day driving, with a spacious, leather-trimmed cabin, a large boot and a 100-litre fuel tank giving owners the ability to cover long distances, comfortably at speed.

The Invicta S1 is the world’s first car to feature a one-piece carbon-fibre bodyshell bonded to the steel tube spaceframe chassis to create an immensely strong, but lightweight, structure. Hand-built by a small team of highly-skilled technicians, the S1 will be produced in strictly limited numbers at Invicta’s Wiltshire facility. Orders will be taken at the Motor Show with deliveries scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2003.

The S1 is powered by a 4.6-litre V8 engine producing 320 bhp and 300 lb ft of torque. The engine drives the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Thanks to its combination of high power and high torque, with low weight, the S1 promises stunning acceleration in every gear, together with surprising fuel economy.

Priced at £69,950 on the road, the Invicta S1 comes with a generous array of standard equipment which includes satellite navigation, climate-control air conditioning, central locking, heated front and rear windscreens and electric windows. A full range of mechanical options, including a four-speed automatic transmission, and bespoke trim options to personalise the interior, will be available.

“While the S1 is a thoroughly modern car, it fully embodies the standards, quality and spirit behind the race-winning 1930s Invicta cars,” said Michael Bristow. “We are confident that it will provide today’s motoring enthusiasts with an exceptionally rewarding driving and ownership experience, matching the marque’s original promise to deliver ‘the most wonderful performance in the world’.”

Photo gallery from the 2002 British International Motorshow -

For more on this exciting car, including contact details please have a look at www.invictacar.com

Story and Main Photo: Newspress UK. Other photos; Steve Wakefield