The Frazor Tickford

In 1981 Frazer cars Ltd  was established and based at Sywell, Northamptonshire. It’s first venture was to join the list of companies  such as Wood and  Pickett and Rapport  in converting the metro. The Frazer metro was offered at £11,608 the car was renamed the Frazer Tickford  cause it was engineered and Coach worked  by Aston Martin Tickford.

The prototype included  re-spraying the body in high gloss silver graduated towards the darker grey as the colour neared the stills, adding  the Tickford name across the bottom of  the Tailgate, together with Aston Martin badges on each wing. Glass fibre panels to form side pods which flare out to the lower section of the body changing the shape of  the car, a front air damp with twin fog lamps on both sides, and a rear skirt with a pair of red fog lamps inserted, tinted windows and the sun roof, electrically operated windows and mirrors, fitted with a cruise control and sterling silver grey leather interior with a new  wrap a round fascia, Wilton pile carpets finished off the interior.

The Aston Martin engineers took the original engine, fitted a gas flowed cylinder head with  large  in-let valves, re-profiled the camshaft and added a new twin choke Webber carburetter on a modified inlet manifold. The wheels were also changed to five and a half inch wide alloy wheels fitted with Pirelli P7s. 26 cars were actually ordered by customers, 20 in silver, 4 in bronze, and 2 in light green. The car shown at the Geneva motor show was a green and was a left-hand drive. At a later date the remaining body kits and interior trim were offered to the MG metro owners to upgrade their cars, so there are a few look a like Tickford Metros around. It would be interesting to know how many of the 26 have survived.

 Peter Paine