Part of Massive Collector Sell-Off: Unusual 1983 Kit Car

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It’s not every day that an unusual kit car appears as part of a collection featuring everything from Rolls-Royces and Bentleys to Kaiser Darrins and Jaguar E-Types. That’s exactly what’s happening in Costa Mesa, California, where a long-term collector has listed 25 classics for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Among them is this right-hand-drive 1983 Madison kit car, offered for $8,000.

The listing is remarkably brief, leaving much of the story for prospective buyers to uncover. What it does tell us is that this is a 1983 Madison kit car configured with right-hand drive. It is listed in used, fair condition and is one of 25 vehicles the seller says are being dispersed from a long-term collector car collection. The Madison name isn’t one that comes up very often, which makes this listing stand out. Kit cars have always occupied an interesting niche within the collector hobby, offering builders and owners the chance to own something different from mainstream production cars. Some were assembled from readily available donor vehicles, while others were far more specialized, and tracking down surviving examples today can sometimes be as challenging as finding parts for them.

Unfortunately, the seller doesn’t go into much detail about this particular Madison. The listing doesn’t discuss the drivetrain, mechanical condition, mileage, or how complete the car is. It also doesn’t mention whether the vehicle runs or drives, so those are questions interested buyers will likely want to ask directly. What does make the listing intriguing is the company this car keeps. Alongside the Madison are vehicles ranging from a 1954 Kaiser Darrin and multiple Rolls-Royces to an Excalibur Phaeton, Bentley 3½-Liter, Triumph 1800 Coupe, Jaguar E-Type, and several other unusual classics. It sounds like the seller has spent years assembling a collection that leans heavily toward cars you simply don’t encounter very often.

For enthusiasts, that can sometimes be as interesting as the individual vehicles themselves. Collections built over decades often contain cars that haven’t circulated through the collector market repeatedly, giving buyers the opportunity to discover something a little different. At an asking price of $8,000, the Madison represents one of the more affordable entries in this unusual collection. Without additional details from the seller, it’s difficult to speculate beyond what the listing provides, but it certainly appears to be aimed at someone who appreciates uncommon vehicles and enjoys learning the history behind them.

If you’re the type of enthusiast who already has the usual muscle cars and sports cars covered, something like a right-hand-drive Madison kit car could offer a completely different conversation piece. And with so little information available, sometimes half the fun is finding out exactly what you’re looking at.

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Comments

  1. Rick

    Whelp, that’s a new one to me. Apparently a UK kit that’s still around (https://www.madisoncars.co.uk/coupe). Looks interesting from the front and rear, and squashed from the side.. and not in a good way. I would guess the underpinnings are something fairly ordinary – MG / Triumph / Cooper etc. Might peek someone’s interest.

    Like 1
  2. Derek

    The drivetrain and registration will have come from a mid-70s Ford; that’s a Pinto motor, so either 1.6 or 2.0 litre. The separate chassis was probably supplied with the body.

    Like 2
    • PeterfromOZ

      2 litre SOHC German engine iron block and head. The basis for the BDA racing engine. The cam belt cover is in two parts. You can change the rubber belt without removing the crank pulley. In fact you can change the belt in a parking lot in a very short time as I did for my in-laws. It is a non-interference engine.

      Like 1
  3. Don Sicura

    Sad that it’s so far away from me, I’d love to get a closer look at this one and maybe even part with the 8K to put it in the stable, classic lines & somewhat modern driveline, what’s not to like!

    Like 3
  4. kim in lanark

    looks like something The Saint would drive in the 30s. If I had a ton of money with nothing better to do with it I would try to shoehorn a 30s straight six or eight engine and do a reverse restomod on the interior with 30s gauges etc. Paint it red and tan, slap a Hirondel label on it and go.

    Like 1
  5. Dave Brown

    I look at this kit car and see Packard written all over it. That grill screams Packard. I might not have this quite correct, but Macaulay had a special Packard built just for him, and this reminds me of it. It’s lower, but it looks very similar. From my experience, kit, cars, or just that kit cars. The bodies are not well engineered the leak all types of wind noise, nothing shut, throat, rattle, rattle, bang, bang. It’s all about appearance, and not reliability or durability.

    Like 1
  6. Rogue1

    One of the nicest looking kit cars I’ve ever seen. Does that mean it’s a pleasure to drive, not sure. Hope the windows work if there’s no AC… Wish it was closer to kick the tires.

    Like 0
  7. Philip Lepel

    This is the car Packard would have built if it had bought the rights to the Atlantique body. The grill is definitely 1930 Packard inspired. What a shame that this didnt catch on.

    Like 1

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