Men in Sheds – Moss Motor Company

There was – and is – no connection between the Moss Motor Company and Moss Motors except for a common appreciation for sports cars. John Cowperthwaite built his first special on an Austin 7 chassis when he was 18 and then decided to build a series of kits for commercial production.

The Moss Mamba was an homage to the 60s Alfa Romeo 2600

During the height of kit car construction and sales in the 80s, Cowperthwaite was prolific with the creation of several models. The Moss Mamba took its visual cues from the Alfa Romeo 2600 and was originally based on Triumph Herald and Vitesse running gear until a version based on the Ford Escort debuted in 1984.

The Moss Monaco was an elemental, primitive homage to 50s specials

The Moss Malvern and Moss Roadster were inspired in almost equal part by the Morgan Plus Four and MG TF and were similarly based on Herald and Vitesse mechanicals.

Moss Roadster

The Monaco was a modern interpretation of a classic 50s racing special and was built using either the Triumph Herald or a Vitesse for donor parts with a separate box section chassis. Approximately 300 were made over a 20-year period from 1091 to 2000.

Blunt best described the Monaco

A devastating fire in 1985 destroyed many of the molds and caused a stop in production but manufacture resumed after the firm relocated to another site. An active owners club has purchased many of the remaining molds and with several hundred cars still on the road these cars will remain for many years to come.