Trident History

From 1965 through 1974 the Trident Cars Ltd was based in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Their first vehicle, the Clipper, was a prototype TVR model and shown to the public at the Geneva Motor Show. It was designed by Trevor Fiore and built by Fissore. In total, three coupes and one convertible prototype were created.

TVR was experiencing financial problems so the Clipper project was passed to one of their dealers. The dealer, W.J. Bill created Trident Cars Ltd. The clipper models remained mostly unchanged. Fiberglass was used in stead of aluminum with very few changes occurring to the styling. Under the hood was a 4.7-liter eight-cylinder engine capable of propelling the car from zero-to-sixty in five seconds. Top speed was achieved at 150 mph. A 2.5-liter six-cylinder engine became available in 1967 and dropped in 1969.

In 1969 the Venturer was introduced. It used many of the design cues from the Clipper but sat atop a 93 inch Triumph TR6 chassis. Power came from the 2.5-liter V6 Ford engine. The suspension was independent and coil springs providing a comfortable ride and good performance.

A strike at Ford in 1971 meant the engines were in short supply. So a 5.4-liter Chrysler V8 was substituted in the Venturer and the named was changed to Tycoon. A few of the cars were given a Triumph 2.5-liter straight-6 engine.

By 1974 Trident Cars Ltd was forced out of business due to financial problems. A valiant attempt to revive the company was orchestrated in 1977 and a few more vehicles were produced. Unfortunately, this was not enough and the company once again went out of business.

During the lifespan of the company, lasting from 1965 though 1978, 39 Clippers, 84 Venturer's and 7 Tycoons were produced.

In May of 1999 a new Trident Company was established in Fakenham, Norfolk with the purpose of manufacturing a two-seater sports car named the Iceni. The vehicle is powered by a 3.2-liter GM V-6 engine. The name of the company was changed in 2002 to Broadley Performance Vehicles. The company has yet to produce a vehicle.