From Peerless to Warwick: The Untold Story of a Forgotten British GT

Hidden Heritage - In a world where automotive legends often come wrapped in glamorous names and million-dollar tags, it's easy to overlook the humble machines that quietly carried ambition, innovation, and heart. Yet, tucked away in the dusty corners of British motoring history is one such gem—a car that didn’t shout for attention but earned its place with sheer character. This is the story of the Warwick GT, a rare British sports car whose legacy isn’t told through fame or fortune, but through its fascinating journey from racing roots to near obscurity.

Here’s the 1958 Peerless GT—a lightweight sports car by Bernie Roger and John Gordon, built with Triumph TR3 parts and a fiberglass body—that laid the foundation for the Warwick GT. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

The Warwick GT wasn’t born from a sprawling factory or a wealthy corporation. It sprang from the determined mind of Bernie Roger, a man who simply wasn’t ready to quit after the collapse of Peerless Cars Limited. Back in 1957, Roger and his partner John Gordon had created the Peerless GT, a lightweight sports car using Triumph TR3 components and a fiberglass body. It made its debut at the Paris Motor Show and even sold over 300 units, but like many small automakers of the era, financial struggles brought the curtain down too soon.

The Warwick GT, sharing DNA with its predecessor but featuring smarter engineering and a sleeker silhouette, was produced from 1960 to 1962 in just 40 units. (Picture from: Maurizio Boi in Flickr)

Rather than abandon the dream, Roger reimagined it. Under his new venture, Bernard Roger Developments, he refined the Peerless into something more focused, more modern—and perhaps even more daring. Thus, the Warwick GT was born in 1960, a car that shared DNA with its predecessor but brought along smarter engineering and a sleeker silhouette.

The Warwick GT compensated with vision, featuring a tubular steel space frame and a forward-tilting fiberglass front end—a bold design later echoed in icons like the Jaguar E-Type. (Picture from: Maurizio Boi in Flickr)

With only around 40 examples ever produced between 1960 and 1962, the Warwick GT was never going to be a mass-market darling. But what it lacked in volume, it made up for in vision. Its construction featured a tubular steel space frame and a forward-tilting fiberglass front end—a bold design that would later echo in icons like the Jaguar E-Type. Beneath that curvaceous shell was a 2.0-liter Triumph inline-four engine, delivering just over 100 horsepower. Modest by today’s standards, sure, but enough to push the car to speeds up to 118 mph, with a surprisingly thrifty fuel economy of 32 miles per gallon. The car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just over 12 seconds, which wasn’t blistering—but felt spirited in a car that weighed barely over 1,800 pounds. 

The Warwick GT housed a 2.0-liter Triumph inline-four engine producing just over 100 horsepower, paired with a four- or five-speed manual gearbox—and sometimes overdrive—delivering a spirited, hands-on driving experience true to its hand-built British GT character. (Picture from: Maurizio Boi in Flickr)

Performance, though, wasn’t just about speed. The Warwick GT offered tight, confident handling thanks to a De Dion rear axle and a Salsbury differential—a combination that allowed drivers to truly enjoy corners without risking a spin into the hedgerow. Paired with a four- or five-speed manual gearbox, and sometimes even overdrive, the driving experience was spirited and hands-on, exactly what you’d hope for from a hand-built British GT.

The Warwick GT 350 prototype was no ordinary Warwick, with only two ever made and each fitted with a 3.5-liter aluminum Buick V8 producing over 200 horsepower—twice the power of the standard model. (Picture from: Perico001 in Flickr)

But the real highlight? The two Warwick GT 350 prototypes. These were no ordinary Warwicks. Fitted with a 3.5-liter Buick V8 made of aluminum, they cranked out over 200 horsepower—doubling the power of the standard model. These V8-powered versions weren’t just showpieces either; they raced at tracks like Silverstone and Goodwood, and even tore down Brighton’s famed speed trial course. In fact, these cars planted the seeds for what would later become the Gordon Keeble GK1, another rare British GT that shared both philosophy and engineering roots.

The Warwick GT 350 prototypes laid the groundwork for the Gordon Keeble GK1, another rare British GT that shared their philosophy and engineering roots. (Picture from: Perico001 in Flickr)

Despite its promise, the Warwick GT couldn’t escape the harsh realities of running a small car company in the early '60s. Production ended by 1962, leaving behind only a handful of roadworthy survivors. Today, maybe three or four remain that can still stretch their legs on public roads. One of them—chassis number seven—even resurfaced in 2024, a true unicorn that many mistook for a homebuilt oddity. They couldn’t have been more wrong. | dyOMLaM0xPE |

The Warwick GT isn’t a car you’ll find immortalized in glossy car posters or featured in the next racing simulator. It doesn't need that kind of spotlight. Its charm lies in its story—a tale of grit, creativity, and quiet rebellion against convention. Sometimes, the cars that leave the biggest impressions aren’t the ones that roared the loudest, but the ones that whispered just enough to make you stop and look twice.

 

And when you do, you realize the Warwick GT wasn’t just a car. It was an idea, a second chance, and above all, a rare reminder that even the most overlooked corners of automotive history can shine with brilliance. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WARWICK-GT | WIKIPEDIA | CLASSIC.HONESTJOHN | MAURIZIO BOI IN FLICKR | PERICO001 IN FLICKR ]

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