Banham Superbug

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From 1970 onwards, Paul Banham’s company Banmoco specialised in converting Rolls-Royce, Ferrari 400s and Aston Martins into convertibles. 

By the late ‘80s he was offering an ‘off the peg’ soft-top Jaguar XJ6 conversion which proved particularly popular. In an interesting move, Banham purchased the original tooling for the Ford RS200, developing it for use on the MG Maestro chassis with rear seats in place of the original’s mid-engine layout. Next came the Banham X99 project, a Metro-based kit styled very closely on Audi’s concept for their TT. A bit too close as it turned out, as VAG took exception to the design and made Banham alter the look of the car.

Hot on its heels came the Superbug, stylistically similar to the X99 but built as a contemporary take on the Mini Moke. This popular kit sold well, thanks to the relatively easy build and never-ending supply of donor vehicles.

This Superbug was built around a 1990 Rover Metro GTi. Its 1,396cc K-Series engine and five-speed gearbox gives it a lively performance thanks to the minimal weight of the bodywork. Purchased by the vendor for his son in 2008, it has been in storage for most of the time since then and as a consequence will require light recommissioning before use.

Catalogue Amendment: This car has just passed an MOT with no advisories