DEALER STAR CAR
Little wonder
Fifty years ago, Lenhams were head-turners and pretty good on the track. Simon de Burton has found an example that’s ‘as new’
In the late 1960s and early ’70s Lenham re-imagined a number of British sports cars
THE LENHAM MOTOR COMPANY was born during the 1960s when such ‘boutique’ marques that built interesting specials based on mainstream models were springing up all around Britain.
The foundations of the business date to 1962 when Julian Kingsford-Booty and David Miall-Smith set-up The Vintage and Sports Car Garage behind the Dog & Bear Hotel in The Square, Lenham, Kent. Although they were initially focused on restoration and repairs, the pair’s skills were recognised by a customer who unexpectedly commissioned them to create a hardtop roof to turn his damaged Austin-Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite into a coupé.