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19th June 2000
click the above picture to download a high quality JPG file (252kb) FBS Engineering Ltd (http://www.fbs-eng.co.uk) has completed a quarter of a million pound investment deal which will enable it to put the innovative FBS1 sports car into production. The deal with two Business Angels involves a combination of equity investment and unsecured loans. It has taken seven months from a first meeting at an Equity Link Investors’ Fair (http://www.equitylink.co.uk/) to the completion of the deal. During that time, the founders of FBS Engineering Ltd have also completed and exhibited the prototype car (picture above) while working in senior positions on the new Mini for BMW – Rover group. Andrew Barber said "This investment will enable us to take the car from prototype to production. Over the next year, we will complete the detailed engineering design and testing; build a second car; rent premises; set up tooling for the chassis and recruit staff. This is a great day for us, we have always known we would get here. Now it has happened and we are trying hard to keep our feet on the ground" Robin Hall described some of the sacrifices the project has required "In my late twenties, I had a profitable car repair and restoration business but, realising I needed an engineering degree to be a successful sports car designer, I wound it up and we spent three years struggling on my wife’s salary as a junior teacher. More recently, we have spent so many late nights working on the prototype that Andrew’s two year old son told people that I lived with them". Notes for Editors FBS1 is an innovative two seat, V6 powered convertible with radical styling and class leading dynamics. A demonstrator will be ready early next year and customer deliveries will begin in mid 2001. FBS1 will be available from £25,000 for a typical basic V6 model. Every car will receive Single Vehicle Approval before delivery so each customer will have considerable freedom in specifying their own car. Every purchaser will be invited to the factory to help optimise the layout of their car. The dynamics of FBS1 were designed without compromise. Key features include: stiff steel structures (developed using Finite Element Analysis); double wishbone suspension featuring optimised kinematics & compliance with camber compensation & passive rear steer; unassisted brakes & steering (PAS & servo optional). FBS1 does not compromise on safety, its class leading brakes & steering help the driver respond to danger. In the event of a collision, the occupants are protected by our three stage safety strategy: energy absorbing GRP panels; deformable steel tube subframes; heavy gauge steel monocoque safety cell. The whole car is packaged with generous crush spaces. Crash safety has been proved by computer simulation. Practicality is not ignored. With its full size doors; fully adjustable seats and steering column; and a boot capable of taking a set of golf clubs with room to spare, FBS1 is a useable every day car. FBS1 is intended to minimise environmental damage; it is economical to build & use and has the same European exhaust and evaporative emissions control systems as a mass production car. The chassis was carefully designed and extensively tested before the body was added, a test and development programme on the prototype car is now in progress. The FBS1 exterior styling concept was by Giovanni Doglioli, an MA Automotive Design student at Coventry University’s School of Industrial Design. Further information and pictures can be found on our web site: http://www.fbs-eng.co.uk or contact: Andrew Barber Telephone: 01844 290265 Email: andrewbarber@fbs-eng.co.uk |
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