Somewhere in the quiet Scottish town of Lochgilphead, the Agryll Turbo GT was born as the country’s first supercar.
When one thinks about Scotland, things like pretty castles, bagpipes, and the Loch Ness monster usually come to mind — not menacing, head-turning supercars. However, a manufacturing company based in a small fishing port in the Scottish countryside once tried to change the stereotype. The Argyll Turbo GT is Scotland’s first-ever supercar, made in the small town of Lochgilphead in the northern part of the country.
Never heard of the Turbo GT? It’s not that surprising since it is one of the lesser-known supercars out there. But no worries, we’ll tell you everything there is to know about the car and its maker. So fasten your seat belt, sit tight, and enjoy another edition of the Unknown Supercars series.
Argyll — Scotland’s First Car Brand
The original Argyll brand was founded by Alex Govan back in 1899. Initially named the Hozier Engineering Company, it was more of a manufacturing firm than a straight-up supercar factory. Hozier is also where the first Argyll car, the Voiturette, was produced a couple of years after its inception. It featured a tiny 2.75 horsepower engine before eventually receiving a couple of mid-cycle upgrades, bumping the power output up to 5 and 8 horsepower.
Over the years, the Hozier Engineering Company expanded its model range and engine sizes. Soon the brand reinvented itself with the Argyll name and set up a dedicated automobile manufacturing facility in another small Scottish town called Alexandria. Unfortunately, though, Argyll Motors couldn’t sustain the growth trajectory and entered a phase of acute decline after Govan’s death, entering liquidation in 1908.
However, that wasn’t the end of the road for Argyll. The marque came back a couple of years later, in 1910, with a range of new models, some bearing a striking resemblance to the Ford Model T. But the newfound success didn’t last long this time around either. A change of owners brought on major revisions; the Alexandria factory was sold, and production shifted back to where it started in the early 1900s. The marque was rebranded to Argylls Ltd. and continued building some of its older models with minor technological upgrades.
Like before, the Argyll name vanished from the car scene again in 1932. Only this time, it wouldn’t be back for a while.
The Creator’s Idea Behind the Supercar
Fast-forward to 1976, the Argyll marque made a comeback into the market, but its first (and only) car was still a little ways away. After nearly 40 years, Argyll was revived by one Bob Henderson with the Turbo GT, resembling the famous DeLorean DMC-12.
The prototype
Bob Henderson was an automobile engineering extraordinaire. The man invented the Minnow-Fish carburettor and was an expert in the theory of turbocharging. He restarted Argyll along with a highly accomplished rally driver Andrew Smith. The idea was to continue what the founders intended in 1899 and build something they would be proud of, and the Argyll GT was supposed to be a more reasonably-priced Ferrari alternative.
That said, the reborn Argyll only ever produced the Turbo GT. Still, even that is a herculean feat, especially considering the fact the entire project was executed without any public funding or external help.
After reviving the company in the mid-1970s, the prototype Turbo GT was presented almost immediately. The press received the car well, as they were the only ones who got to drive it. The only early prototype featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V8 engine from Rover and a sleek glass fiber body. Per the creator’s idea, there were rumors of the car costing around the £7,000 mark — significantly less than any comparable Lamborghini or any other Italian supercar at the time.
Production version
The production version wasn’t ready until much later in 1983, and even then, it came with many significant changes. The Rover V8 was ditched for a naturally aspirated V6 engine from ‘Douvrin’, jointly engineered by Peugeot, Renault, and Citroën. Other engine options were available, but detailed information on those specifics is scarce.
The two-door coupe had also gained two more seats and a few thousand pounds more on its price tag. Henderson always remained relatively tight-lipped about the car’s performance figures and production numbers. However, it is famously known that each unit doesn’t produce the same power output, making each Argyll unique.
How Did It Compare to Other Supercars from the Era?
The production version of Argyll Turbo GT came in at upwards of £25,000 to £30,000, double the price of a Jaguar XJ and a few grand more than a Porsche 911. All that for a car with taillights from a Datsun, suspension from a Triumph, and door handles borrowed from a Morris Marina. That’s not all; the trend of using borrowed parts continues throughout the rest of the exterior and inside the cabin.
Other supercars available during the 1980s were far superior in trust and build quality but lacked the uniqueness of the Argyll. Yet, for a similar price, would you get the Turbo GT over a Ferrari 308? You know the answer.
Can You Find One Today?
Bob Henderson’s insistence on not discussing production numbers meant nobody really knows for sure how many Turbo GTs were produced. That said, there were plans to build around 12 units each year when the car launched in October 1983.
It is possible a few Argyll Turbo GTs remain in the hands of private collectors or museums. Given the rarity of the car and its status as a historical artifact of automotive engineering, any surviving examples of the Argyll Turbo GT would likely be highly sought after and considered valuable treasures by car enthusiasts. All we know is Bob Henderson has one pristine example in his private collection somewhere in Lochgilphead, Scotland.
Final Words
The Argyll Turbo GT is an exciting supercar that has always been overshadowed by offerings from other more established brands in the automotive scene. However, it represents the industry’s uniqueness and shows one doesn’t have to arrange tens of millions of dollars to build a supercar. All it takes is a great business mind, engineering acumen, and someone who dares to get things started.
Gallery: Argyll Turbo GT
