Asphalt Thrills - Every now and then, someone comes along who decides that the limits of car design are meant to be challenged, bent, or even shattered entirely. While most people admire cars for their sleek lines or raw power, a rare few take things further and turn automobiles into rolling pieces of fantasy. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, that person was Bill Carter, a man whose imagination transformed everyday roads into a stage for some of the wildest street-legal machines ever seen in Britain.
 |
| The 1991 Bill Carter Top Cat, a unique street legal fantasy car with radical cab-forward designs and used a V12 Jaguar engine. (Picture from: AllCarIndex) |
Carter wasn’t a household name in the world of mainstream car manufacturing. In fact, he worked for Ordnance Survey, a mapping company in the UK, and yet, outside of his day job, he dedicated himself to crafting cars that looked like they belonged in science fiction films rather than in traffic. His creations weren’t just showpieces to be hauled around on trailers—they were certified to be driven on actual public roads, something that still seems almost unbelievable today.
 |
| The 1991 Bill Carter Top Cat's passenger accommodation sat beneath a Tornado jet fighter two-piece canopy. (Picture from: AllCarIndex) |
One of his most unforgettable builds rolled out in 1991 under the name Top Cat. This wasn’t just another eccentric project with flashy bodywork; it was a ground-up masterpiece. Carter didn’t rely on an existing frame—he built the chassis himself, sculpted the bodywork, and even assembled the finer details by hand. Underneath the extraordinary exterior lurked a Jaguar V12 engine, one of the most powerful motors available at the time, paired with a chain drive to the rear wheels. To
make sure the engine lived up to its menacing reputation, Carter fitted
six twin-choke Weber carburetors, amplifying both its performance and
its mystique. Sadly, no official performance figures survive, but
judging from the sheer audacity of the build, it’s safe to say this
wasn’t a car anyone forgot after hearing it roar.
 |
| The 1991 Bill Carter Top Cat's has a radically cab-forward designs inspired of a Tornado jet fighter. (Picture from: BubbleMania.fr) |
As striking as the engine setup was, it was the design that stopped people in their tracks.
The Top Cat pushed boundaries with a radical cab-forward stance,
while the driver and passenger sat beneath a repurposed two-piece canopy from a Tornado fighter jet. The aircraft influence didn’t stop there—
after a repaint in silver,
a dramatic tail fin was added,
making the car look like a hybrid between a Le Mans prototype and a futuristic plane.
 |
| The 1991 Bill Carter Top Cat's tail fin is believed to be added a moment later when the car was repainted into silver. (Picture from: Pinterest) |
But Carter’s imagination didn’t start with Topcat. Four years earlier, in 1987, he introduced another machine to the world, called G-WHIZ. Like Top Cat, it was powered by a Jaguar V12 and carried the same bold, cab-forward layout. However, G-WHIZ took the aviation theme even further, sprouting two jet-engine-like pods at the rear along with vertical and horizontal stabilizers—exactly the kind of features you’d expect to see on an experimental aircraft, not a road-going car. Whether the faux jet units actually functioned is still a mystery, but one thing was certain: this was no static showpiece. Just like Top Cat, G-WHIZ was approved for use on British roads and was regularly driven by Carter himself.
 |
| The 1987 Bill Carter's G-WHIZ has a radically cab-forward designs as an airplane appearance and uses a Jaguar V12 engine. (Picture from: BubbleMania.fr) |
What makes these creations so fascinating, even decades later, is that they weren’t built for movie sets, concept car expos, or amusement parks.
They were crafted by one man,
driven in the real world,
and allowed ordinary drivers and pedestrians to witness something extraordinary in their everyday lives. In a time when most manufacturers were focused on boxy practicality or polished refinement,
Carter dared to blur the line between car and fantasy machine.
 |
| The 1987 Bill Carter's G-WHIZ has a slighty unique bodywork with 2 striking jet engine units at rear also a vertical and horizontal stabilizers. (Picture from: BubbleMania.fr) |
Today, these outrageous vehicles stand as reminders of what happens when creativity is given free rein. They’re not just curiosities from the past; they’re symbols of a fearless approach to engineering and design that remains rare even now.
Bill Carter’s Top Cat and
G-WHIZ may no longer cruise British roads as they once did, but the legacy of their audacity continues to fuel the imagination of anyone who believes that cars can be more than just transportation—they can be dreams brought to life on wheels.
*** [EKA [26072020] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AUTOYAS.COM | FIBERCLASSICS.ORG | BUBBLEMANIA.FR | BY STARGOOSE AND HANGLANDS | ALLCARINDEX | PINTEREST ]Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
