The One-Off LS3-Powered Dowsetts Comet Is Heading To Auction Soon
The boutique British sports car combines classic '50s styling and modern American power, and it could be yours
The privilege of owning a custom-built sports car is often reserved for the wealthiest and most well-connected collectors, but every so often the opportunity arises for us mere mortals to snag something truly special. The Dowsetts Comet 02 is just that, as it was designed from the ground up as a completely unique one-off.
Created by Dowsetts Classic Car Company, the 02 is built around a steel spaceframe chassis with kevlar-reinforced fiberglass panels to keep weight to a minimum. Powering the car is a 6.2L LS3 V8 sourced from General Motors, which is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
There's no official performance figures listed for the car, but given that it's essentially the V8 out of a Corvette C6 stuffed into the lightest possible chassis, it's likely to be fast. Very fast, in fact. The basic design was apparently modeled on the original AC Cobra, with Dowsetts aiming to give the 02 the same raw, unadulterated feeling of power.
The man behind Dowsett is Ant Anstead, who's better known for his TV roles on For the Love of Cars and Wheeler Dealers. When he's not starring in those roles or getting very publicly divorced from his reality star ex-wife, he's busy designing bespoke cars with his team in a small factory in Hertfordshire, England.
The story of how this car came to be put up for public auction is a sad one, as unfortunately the collector who commissioned it sustained a serious back injury shortly after receiving the car. He had to undergo extensive surgery, which means he's no longer able to comfortably sit in the car. Rather than let it gather dust in his garage, he made the difficult decision to put the car on the market for someone else to enjoy.
The Comet 02 will be crossing the auction block in just a few weeks time at the Silverstone Auctions event at the 2021 NEC Classic Motor Show in Birmingham, England. If you're interested in finding out more about the car, you can read the full auction listing here. Or who knows, if you've got some cash to splash then register for the auction and have a go at taking this unique creation home yourself.
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Comments (2)
nothing but respect for the man who chose to sell it, rather than let it sit and gather dust...
That is gorgeous!!!