Gilbern GT Price Guide

The Gilbern GT was the only car ever mass-produced in Wales — a fibreglass-bodied sports car built in Llantwit Fardre near Pontypridd from 1959 to 1967 by Giles Smith and Bernard Friese (Gil-bern from their first names). The GT used BMC A-series and MGA engines in a tubular steel chassis with a hand-laid fibreglass body, and was sold both as a complete car and as a kit to avoid purchase tax.

The Car

The GT used the BMC A-series 948cc and 1,098cc engines initially, upgrading to the MGA 1,588cc and MGB 1,798cc units in later cars. The fibreglass body was a clean, elegant 2+2 coupe of considerable visual appeal. Around 202 GTs were produced across the production run. The Gilbern Genie and Invader that followed used Ford V6 engines and represented the company’s most commercially successful period before financial difficulties ended production in 1973.

Buying

The Gilbern GT is a rare and historically significant Welsh sports car — only 202 built. The fibreglass body does not rust but the tubular chassis can corrode. BMC and MGB engine parts are readily available. The Gilbern Owners Club maintains the register and provides specialist support. Gilbern