It was time to
start another
project. Alex
had still not
been able to
build a car that
was a unique
Almac. The Almac
427SC was still
called a Cobra
and the TC and
TG were called
either MGs or MG
look-alikes.
Cobra production
was still pretty
consistent but
Alex reasoned
that it could
not go on
forever. There
are just so many
Cobra buyers in
New Zealand and
it was time to
have a go at
building a more
modern car. 
By
now Alex’s
family had grown
up and his son
Stuart had
picked up his
fathers
fascination for
cars and would
regularly doodle
car designs on
his schoolbooks
and sketch pads.
The two of them
started work on
a car was
intended to be a
modern
interpretation
of the Cobra but
it would be all
original. 
The
first attempt
went under the
codename of
“Car” and would
take some of its
design cues from
the MGB. While
the buck was
taking shape
Alex became
disenchanted
with it and it
was eventually
consigned to the
tip. The
photographs
shown give an
indication of
how far along
the design
process the
“Car” got. It
was back to the
sketchbooks
again.
If it was going
to be a modern
interpretation
of a Cobra, that
is where they
would start. 
Taking
a Cobra boot and
lots of bog
another car
started to take
shape in the
Almac factory
during 1991.
Once again Alex
was reminded
just how complex
a job it is to
build a
production kit
car from
scratch. It is a
constant case of
designing
something and
then redesigning
it to see if it
looks or fits
any better.
Again following
on from what
Alex had learnt
with the TG this
would be based
on a single
donor car. The
car he chose
this time was
the Ford
Cortina, which
had not changed
mechanically
from the 1973
until production
ended in 1984.
As with the TG
it would have a
chassis solely
designed and
produced in
house.
The Almac Sabre
was first
featured in the
Classic
Car
magazine in May
of 1994 and Alex
received a huge
number of
inquiries about
the car.
Unfortunately
the kit car
market had
changed. Its
main competition
the MX5, due to
the invasion of
Japanese
imports, could
now be purchased
for about
$11,000 which
was only a
thousand dollars
more expensive
than the Sabre
kit. The Cortina
was not 
seen
as a good
lineage to build
a sports car
from. Although
magazines such
as Driver
(1995), Which
Kit (1996),
Classic Car
again (2000)
gave the car
good publicity
production
ceased in 2001
after only nine
models had been
made.
Diversion: The
Clubsprint
As Alex now
heads towards
retirement most
would have
thought that car
production would
start to slow
down but the kit
car industry is
again going
through a
revival. So much
so that in 2002
Alex started his
final car, the
Almac Sabre
Series 2. Like
the TC and TG
Alex has again
looked at all
the shortcomings
of the original
Sabre and
improved them. 
The
car has been
moved away from
the MX5, further
upmarket where
although it will
be more
expensive to
build it will be
able to compete
more favourably.
A new and
stronger chassis
has been
designed. All
the Cortina bits
are gone apart
from the
windscreen and a
Lexus V8 is the
preferred motor.
The body has
received a
significant face
lift and the car
now only
resembles its
predecessor in
profile. 
The
new Sabre was
launched at the
Hamilton Motor
Show in March
2004 and already
he has orders
for five on his
books. It is
still too early
to tell how
successful this
car will be but
the early
indications are
quite promising.
Production has
already started
and the first
example of this
car could be
seen in the 2004
Targa Rally.
What is next on
the horizon?
Well after a
quarter century
of designing and
building cars
Alex will now be
content to just
build them and
the short-term
future looks
quite promising.
The Cobra now
sells itself and
almost two
hundred have
gone through the
door. Clubsprint
production has
also started to
increase.
