1959 Tornado Typhoon Roadster

The Tornado Car Company was formed in England in 1958, and their first model was called the Typhoon. Named after a British warplane and not a tropical storm, this car is an English Ford-based 'special.' These specials were popular in the 1950s before the Sprite and Mini were introduced. Only 300 Typhoons were built and not many were imported to the United States.

Not much is known about this car, although the license plate which came with it has been traced to the North of London and was issued in 1964. The car appeared in an English book of the world's sports cars published in the sixties. Classic Motorsports magazine publisher, Tim Suddard, found this car in 2014 in Wisconsin in boxes and restored it in his garage with the help of friends Jere Dotten and Tom Prescott. The body is made of fiberglass. The original Tornado frame is tubular, like an early Cobra, and the drivetrain is all 1953 Ford Prefect based. Rare period aftermarket speed equipment from the Aquaplane Company has been fitted to boost performance.