GKD Sports Cars

GKD Sports Cars is a small-volume British kit-car manufacturer based in Boughton Monchelsea, near Maidstone in Kent, with workshops at Lenham. The company focuses on lightweight, open sports cars that can be supplied as kits, part-built projects, or completed vehicles. Its principal models are the GKD Evolution and GKD Legend. The business was established in 2006 when managing director Peter Lathrope acquired the Ginetta G27 project. GKD subsequently revised the design, with changes intended to improve the car's aerodynamics and styling. The resulting Evolution gave the new company early visibility in the British kit-car sector, winning the 2006 Car of the Year award from Which Kit Car magazine and reportedly taking five of the competition's seven category victories. GKD broadened and technically updated its range in 2008. The Evolution was developed to use running gear from the BMW 3 Series, particularly E36 and E46 components, and the company introduced the GKD Legend at the Exeter Kit Car Show in November of that year. The two models were presented as among the first mainstream kit cars to make extensive use of BMW 3 Series E36/E46 mechanical components, a choice that provided builders with access to widely available donor-car parts and a familiar rear-wheel-drive performance platform. Beyond complete kits and vehicle construction, GKD's activities include part-build assistance, preparation of cars for the UK's Individual Vehicle Approval test, tuning, engine conversions for BMW road cars, and the supply of performance equipment. Its parts business has included Racelogic traction-control systems, alloy wheels, tuning components, Ginetta G27 upgrades, and a production hardtop developed for the Ginetta G27—the first production hardtop identified with that project in the cited reference material. GKD occupies a specialist niche rather than competing with mass-market vehicle manufacturers. Its proposition combines low-volume sports-car construction, donor-based engineering, customer-led build support, and aftermarket technical services. Publicly documented information is concentrated on the company's early history, its Evolution and Legend models, and its kit-car and engineering capabilities; detailed information about current production volumes, ownership, staffing, financial performance, and present operating status is not established in the supplied sources.

GKD Sports Cars emerged in 2006 in the British kit-car industry. The company was founded after managing director Peter Lathrope purchased the Ginetta G27 project. Rather than simply continuing the earlier project unchanged, GKD modified the car's aerodynamics and styling and developed it as the GKD Evolution. This gave the company a distinct product with a connection to an existing British sports-car design while allowing it to pursue its own engineering and presentation. The Evolution achieved early recognition in the specialist kit-car press. In 2006 it was named Car of the Year by Which Kit Car magazine and was credited with winning five of the award competition's seven categories. The result helped establish GKD as a notable small-volume entrant despite its limited scale and specialist customer base. The company's next documented development phase came in 2008. GKD upgraded the Evolution to use mechanical components from BMW 3 Series E36 and E46 donor vehicles. These platforms were significant in the kit-car context because they offered rear-wheel-drive architecture, performance-oriented engines and suspension components, and relatively broad availability in the used-parts market. In November 2008, GKD launched the Legend at the Exeter Kit Car Show. The Legend and the revised Evolution were described as among the first mainstream kit cars to use BMW E36/E46 running gear, distinguishing GKD's approach from kit cars based on more conventional donor platforms. GKD's business model extended beyond the sale of basic vehicle kits. The company supplied and built the Evolution and Legend, undertook part-build projects, helped customers prepare cars for the Individual Vehicle Approval test, and provided tuning and engine-conversion work for BMW road cars. It also supplied Racelogic traction-control systems, alloy wheels, and other tuning parts. Because of the Evolution's relationship to the Ginetta G27 project, GKD developed what was identified as the first production hardtop for the G27 and continued to supply upgrades and parts for that model. The available reference material presents GKD as a focused, low-volume manufacturer and engineering supplier rather than a conventional series-production automaker. Its documented identity rests on lightweight sports-car kits, donor-based BMW engineering, customer build support, and specialist aftermarket services. The supplied sources do not establish later product launches, production totals, ownership changes, financial results, or the company's current operating status.

• 2008

  Evolution adopts BMW 3 Series running gear

  [1]GKD Sports Carsen.wikipedia.org

  GKD upgraded the Evolution to use BMW 3 Series E36 and E46 running gear.

• 2008

  GKD Legend launched

  [1]GKD Sports Carsen.wikipedia.org

  GKD introduced the Legend at the Exeter Kit Car Show in November, expanding its model range alongside the revised Evolution.

• 2006

  Company founded through acquisition of the Ginetta G27 project

  [1]GKD Sports Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Peter Lathrope established GKD Sports Cars after purchasing the Ginetta G27 project. GKD revised the design's aerodynamics and styling and developed the GKD Evolution.

• 2006

  Evolution receives Which Kit Car award

  [1]GKD Sports Carsen.wikipedia.org

  The GKD Evolution was named Which Kit Car magazine's 2006 Car of the Year and reportedly won five of seven categories in the competition.

A specialist British kit-car maker offering lightweight sports-car projects, BMW donor-based running gear, build assistance, vehicle certification preparation, tuning, and related performance parts.

• Kit sports car · 2006

  GKD Evolution

  The Evolution was GKD's development of the acquired Ginetta G27 project. GKD altered the design's styling and aerodynamics and later updated the model to use BMW 3 Series E36/E46 running gear. It was offered within the company's kit-car and vehicle-building activities and became the product most closely associated with GKD's early recognition after winning Which Kit Car magazine's 2006 Car of the Year award.

• Kit sports car · 2008

  GKD Legend

  The Legend was introduced by GKD at the Exeter Kit Car Show in November 2008. It formed part of the company's BMW-based kit-car range and was presented alongside the updated Evolution. The available reference material does not provide detailed specifications, pricing, production figures, or confirmed current availability.

• Automotive parts and accessories

  Ginetta G27 hardtop and upgrades

  GKD developed a production hardtop for the Ginetta G27, described in the reference material as the first production hardtop for that project. The company also supplied upgrades and other parts for Ginetta G27 vehicles, extending its role from vehicle manufacture into specialist support for the platform from which its business originated.

• Automotive aftermarket

  Performance parts and engineering services

  GKD's ancillary offering has included Racelogic traction-control systems, alloy wheels, tuning parts, part-build services, Individual Vehicle Approval preparation, tuning, and engine conversions for BMW road cars. These services complement the company's kit-car sales and provide technical support for customers building or modifying performance vehicles.

• 2008

  BMW E36/E46 running-gear upgrade for the EvolutionGeneration change

  Background

  GKD sought to develop its kit-car range around BMW 3 Series donor components, using the E36 and E46 platforms as the mechanical basis for the updated Evolution.

  Action taken

  The company revised the Evolution to use BMW 3 Series E36/E46 running gear.

  Aftermath

  The update positioned the Evolution within a BMW-based kit-car offering and was followed by the introduction of the Legend, which also used the same general donor-car approach.

  Source

• 2008

  Launch of the GKD LegendProduct launch

  Background

  GKD expanded beyond the Evolution as it developed a broader range of BMW-based kit sports cars.

  Action taken

  The company unveiled the Legend at the Exeter Kit Car Show in November 2008.

  Aftermath

  The model received a positive response from the press and public according to the cited reference, strengthening GKD's position in the specialist kit-car market.

  Source

1. 1GKD Sports Carsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2GKD Sports Cars official websitegkdsportscars.com