1979 Gary Belcher 'Model T' V12 Hot-Rod

• Hand crafted by the late Gary Belcher
• 5.3-litre Jaguar V12 engine
• Manual transmission
• Winner of multiple concours awards
• Offered for sale by the Belcher family

This stunning and entirely hand-crafted 'Rod was conceived and built from scratch in the mid-1970s by the late Gary Belcher (the vendor's brother) and features a 5.3-litre mechanically fuel-injected Jaguar V12 engine coupled to a manual gearbox. Although completed in 1979, the car is licensed as a 1971 Jaguar. Already established as one of the UK's foremost builders of hot-rods, Gary' originally intended to construct a Model T 'Rod powered by a Jaguar XK six-cylinder engine, but changed his mind when a couple of others broke cover before his was completed. Eschewing the all-too-common power plant alternatives of an American or Rover V8, he opted for the Jaguar V12.

Having designed and built the chassis for a 'six', Gary found that there was no room for a fan between the radiator and the V12 engine. This led to overheating; a problem solved by mounting two additional radiators beneath the chassis. The latter demonstrates other aspects of Gary's ingenuity and attention to detail: all the electrical wiring is routed inside one chassis rail while the other contains the steering linkage. Other key components hand-built by Gary include the body, front suspension, mudguards, seat, roll-over bar, hood, and exhaust headers. He even cast the aluminium support brackets for the screen surround and fuel tank himself.

Completed in 1979, Gary's V12 Hot-Rod won no fewer than 11 awards at that year's Custom Car Show and was featured on the front cover and centrefold in Custom Carmagazine's May edition. In 1991 it again featured on Custom Car's front cover and in the magazine's 'Hall of Fame' with the headline: "Just when you thought you had seen it all, along came Gary". The Belcher Rod has also featured on TV, album covers, etc, etc.

Incidentally, this wonderfully original piece of British motoring endeavour was once impounded by French Customs on one of the family's many trips to display the car in Europe (not as a motor vehicle but as a 'Work of Art') and was only released after a French magazine intervened on the owners' behalf. Proudly displayed for 28 years in the Haynes Motor Museum and then stored and unused for the majority of its life, the car is now back in the Belcher family's care. The vendor advises us that the car is running and has been serviced prior to sale. Many of the car's prestigious awards, magazines, etc are included in the sale. It should be noted that the registration '15 ROD' is not included in the sale but is available to the successful purchaser via private negotiation.